I’ve always tried to be me and to show my life as it on social media. I believe that has been to my detriment in some way as I haven’t gathered up the followers like many people do. But I have always believed that it’s most important that you show who you truly are because an “act” as it is is hard to keep up. And I would much rather people meet me in person and say that I am how I present myself to be rather than talk behind my back that without a trove of filters, I don’t look the same.
For a long time I have tried to hide various aspects of my backyard. Yes, I have a pool, and, yes, I have great patio furniture. But I also have a huge pole that brings (or used to bring in the case of the telephone) cable and power to the homes at the end of my block. My house was built in the 1950s and there’s not much I can do it about. Still, I don’t often photograph sunsets because, well, there’s the pole front and center. I’m trying to embrace the pole in some way and I finally gave up on trying to hide my neighbors’ satellite dish (although we have gotten better about making sure my head hides it).
The pool deck is filled with cracks and no matter how many times you fill them and paint over them, they come back. I can’t change these things nor can I change various things about my own appearance that I don’t like.
Yet I also know that by presenting myself as I am and who I am, is more meaningful in the long run. My hope is that one thing that will come out of this pandemic is that people realize anyone of us can make things appear as something they aren’t. What’s harder is to let go of those imperfections in life that make us and our world around us truly stand out.
As our world becomes increasingly visual and– in the current moment, separate, but together– connecting with others is about showing who we really are.