Why "Life is Real"?

It seems obvious to say that "Life is real." Of course it is, life isn’t a figment of our imaginations. What else could it be? However, many times life isn't real. At lest, not the lives we let the world see.

 People put on different personae depending on the situation they are placed in as well as who they are with. Perhaps, the most common persona adults put on is the "Perfect Life" mask.

There is a ton of pressure put on people to have the "Perfect Life" and if they fail to have that "Perfect Life" there is something seriously wrong with them. So they hide the grape juice spill and shush the giggling children at the store, they put on the "grown up voice," and show the world that they have everything under control. When the washer breaks, the boss asks them to stay late and dinner burns they want to call a friend and tell them what's wrong. But, they freeze up. They have to remain "Perfect." So they sit down, shut up, and smile.

The most common mask I find among female peers (or "Teenyboppers") is the persona of the stereotypical cheerleader: the squealing, pretending to be dumb for the attention, and the flirting when around a male peer (or "a guy"). However, when they are in a group of girls their IQ goes up a couple of notches, and their squeals go down a few.

Male peers ("guys") seem to put on a different kind of personality. When around a good friend, or two, they are simply themselves. However, if a certain individual (male most likely) is introduced, or too many good friends get together, the "I'm a Tough Guy and I Know it" persona flies on in the nick of time. As one shield goes up another one of the guy's shields will shoot up as well. And the more shields come up the more intense they get. They feed off one another until their persona is completely covering them.

Younger children are so delightfully refreshing! Too young to understand what the world "expects of them" they are who they are. Once in a while you will find a child who knows the persona that is, or will be, expected and they practice early, however, most of the time the child is simply their personality.

It is hard to find a peer or an adult who is completely comfortable in whom they are. Someone who is comfortable showing the world the real life they hold inside. I know that I struggle with being who I am. However, I try to not give into the pressures and I try to remain who I am, inside my private world and outside my private world.

Do you want to learn more about real life? Do you want to be able to say with confidence "Life is real...and that's okay?" Come back as I break down the pressures of personae and the places where you will be bombarded with the temptation to put up the shield, giving tips along the way on how to be comfortable with who you are.

Life is real,

Winter