A long time ago, I read something interesting. Off the top of my head I couldn’t tell you where, or who said it, or even the exact quote, but the gist of it was: Give a man a mask to hide behind and he will show you his true face.
It’s not something people spend time contemplating but to me it was a revelation. Sheer brilliance in its simplicity. Think about it – we go through our entire lives wearing masks, pretending, and mouthing those little white lies so that people will accept us, like us. We behave according to society’s laws and mores because that is what’s expected of us.
How many times have you listened to someone spin a story about why they didn’t show up when they said they would, or do something they said they would do? How many times have we heard, “It’s not you, it’s me…” or, “Nothing personal, but…”? We are lied to and lie to spare feelings, but sometimes those lies hurt far more than the truth ever could.
But what happens when those restraints fall away? Donning a disguise frees us to be our true selves, say what we really want to, do what we’ve always wanted to do without immediate repercussions, because it’s not really us. Sometimes we need that, to just be free of restrictions for a little while and breathe.
But other times, dressing up is just plain fun! If you could put on any costume you wanted, what would it be? Would you be a superhero? A character from a book or a movie? An animal, or fairy? Or something no one has ever seen before?