Sometimes, we run across unexpected people, in unlikely situations, who change our perspectives.
Albeit temporarily, we all need a jolt once in a while, to remind us we are alive. To give us a glimpse of what their* is to live for. To expose our realities. To allow ourselves to see our true reflection.
Surprisingly, yet obviously, when we make a shift, even a quarter of an inch, everything changes.
Tailors, hair stylists & photographers are all acutely aware of this. Many of the rest of us don’t even detect these subtleties. Ask the tailor, who has altered a wedding gown on a jittery bride; a stylist who has cut the hair of a hyperactive child; a photographer who has created beautiful pictures of people with faces lacking in symmetry. Minute shifts in posture & placement can make all the difference.
In a three-way mirror, we can see a more thorough & accurate representation than what our day-to-day full length mirror allows.
Every one of us has many different ways of being & various representations of ourselves. We often view ourselves as we wish to be & are confused or dismayed later when we see a candid photograph, work performance evaluation or have an honest conversation with a close friend.
As we look into a three-way mirror, the features we try to accentuate, flaws we attempt to disguise & the true shape of our booties are revealed.
A three-way mirror can also be a call to the reality of a situation, in the moment. Pivotal people, these are the people who shift our posture & placement to a degree & suddenly, we see something fresh. New possibilities, other ways of being & the idea of change becomes attainable or even inevitable.
Sometimes, it takes this unique kind of encounter to begin to see what others could already see, from their vantage point. When ignited with this kind of insight, anything could happen. But, let us be real, all I am looking to do is find my best angle & my true signature pose!
* “their” was intentionally used in an untraditional manner, as to demonstrate, that which is worth living for is not necessarily a place, as there would refer. Rather, their refers to owning the concept of life’s purpose, with their indicating belonging to oneself.
Photographer: Pranesh Maskey, Fort Collins, CO
This is pretty much what I’ve been thinking about lately about my life….very well-written
I am pleased to hear I am not the only one wrestling with these revelations. It’s very well to have these internal moments of reflection, even if another has led your thoughts to an introspective space. If someone suggests what you should be seeing, rather than leading you to a valid conclusion, this is almost always unhelpful.
I, for one, did not appreciate the mother of a teenage boy piping up to comment on my appearance as I stepped out of the fitting room in a retail clothing store. I was walking down the hall to show the girls my outfit, not to hear a random stranger’s comment. (There were no three-way mirrors, or I wouldn’t have even needed to seek advice). Yet, when I presented the look to the ladies, the feedback I heard was: “You could wear it as a shirt.” Otherwise known as, “That dress is wicked short & not gonna happen for you!” So, I guess, how would one rather hear reality? Does it matter? As long as I didn’t have a momentary lapse of judgement & buy it, I guess that’s the main point.
This is such a great article!! And all of this is very true! You are an amazing writer.
Thanks for your interest & comments! Stay tuned! There is much more to come!