First, here's the bad news:
Physically speaking, it's looking like we will never get to see ourselves as we truly are.
Technology, I suppose, has better things to do. For now, we can only see our reflections in mirrors, tinted windows, and cool 80's sunglasses, or we can see our projected images through televisions, monitors, and in framed photographs we begged our moms to take off the mantel long ago.
But the good news is, all of those are off. Off, wrong, incorrect, faulty, flawed, erroneous, and inaccurate. Every time I've looked myself in the eye in the bathroom mirror, or tried to judge my body in a swimsuit under florescent lights, or wanted to compare my butt to my friend's, I've never once been given an accurate viewing. People are not two dimensional. That means something. What makes a person's presence IS their gravity and posture, their energy and mass. There are huge elements of our physical existence that are unique to that last dimension! Shape gets discarded in photos. Voice is distorted through recording devices. The depth and breadth of a set of hips plus the way they position themselves in given situations are an important part of their attractiveness. The distance from a freckle on the front of a man's shoulder to an identical freckle on the back of that shoulder is one of the charming details his lover will never forget but he will never notice.
As that our two dimensional selves are so readily captured and viewed, it is easy to focus and fret about what those imposters are doing, and forget about the dynamic 3-D version doing the observing; biting its nail, sitting with one foot tucked in, weight shifted to one side, skin being gently tickled by loose hairs on its neck, all parts moving rhythmically with its breathing as worry lines gather above a smooth, adorably crooked nose.
Which is to say, just try and imagine how sexy Marilyn Monroe really was. And also, maybe consider giving yourself more credit, too.
No comments:
Post a Comment