Everyone in the world either wants to be noticed or
wants to be invisible. Most fall
somewhere in between.
I heard a segment on NPR in which folks were asked if
they'd rather have the power of flight or the power of invisibility. The answers and analysis that followed
drilled deep into the human psyche; a depth I’d rather not get into. But in the broadest form, the analysis went
as follows; some want to be noticed and some want not to be noticed. The
prideful choose to fly; the shameful to be invisible.
I'm not sure I was ever truly a flier, but I certainly
never would have chosen invisibility.
What sort of life is that? By
definition, you are nothing.
But now I'm not so sure. Most days I'd rather go unnoticed, if only because
I think it means I'm blending in.
Sticking out in a crowd can be viewed in a positive light, but if you
feel you are sticking out for all the wrong reasons, it can be difficult to see
things this way. Normal is a floor
(something to fall back on) for some, a ceiling (something to aspire to) for
others.
I find myself wondering what's on people's minds when
they see me. They must be wondering why
this or why that. I think about it a
lot. Maybe it’d be easier if I were
invisible.
Nate, I look at you and see a handsome, intelligent, witty, young man!
ReplyDeletePlease don't take this the wrong way because I am not trying to say I know what you are going through or even pretend to get how difficult it is... but sometimes we get obsessed with what we think others are thinking of us. When I was pregnant and running I would get these thoughts that every car that passed either thought "you go girl" or "why are you running, you are going to harm your baby". Now I realize most people probably didn't even see me or care. The details, the small things, are not really noticed. I think this quote applies to most social situations. Even for those people with disabilities, visible illness and other things that set them apart. “You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”
ReplyDelete― Eleanor Roosevelt
And for those that do know you, yes we do look for signs that you are getting 'worse' because we love you and don't want that to happen. But then we move forward, and we also, mostly, see you for you. See you as Natty. When you look at others what do you see? The big picture right? It works both ways.
Nicely put New Duds. What do you see when you look at me Nate, an old woman, wait , don't answer that! x0x00x0x0xx0x0x0x0x0 Jayne
DeleteI see the witty, sarcastic, handsome Natty that I've always known and love :)
ReplyDelete