The Masks We Wear
We must begin at the begging- in awareness itself- stand into the recognition, again and again until this mask is stripped away and we can see ourselves fully in each other.
The Masks We Wear
and finding connection
A powerful passage that has inspired introspection around the masks we wear to try and shield ourselves from the connectedness we see in each other. That deep connectedness that has the beauty and opportunity to unite but can so often bring up the inner workings of repressed hurt, pain, shame that we see mirrored in ourselves. And when that depth arises, that image is recognized, why do we try to escape from it by doing what hurts us the most, separating ourselves from each other? How can we remove the mask, shatter the perception, when it has been applied in so many ways, so many times by self and others? How can we see that what comes through is meant to be seen for us to awaken to, to see anew, and break through to new understanding?
We must begin at the begging- in awareness itself- stand into the recognition, again and again until this mask is stripped away and we can see ourselves fully in each other.
Meandering thoughts from beneath the stillness
Give yourself a moment to read his words
THE DETAILS CHANGE
by Mark Nepo
Strolling in the summer down Bleecker near Broadway, we pass a young Hispanic couple sitting on the curb. They begin to argue. He blurts out “How can you say that?” She looks hurt. They start squabbling in Spanish. We laugh at them and at ourselves. It’s the same argument since the beginning of time skipping between us. The details change. The language evolves. We long to be close, then bump into each other, and tumble through life the best way we can. How to stay close without loosing who we are? How not to run away or retreat into isolation when misunderstood? How to stay connected and tethered to the truth that outlasts all argument? The next morning, I land on a bench in Union Square where the homeless sleep in the sun this time of year. A damaged man in a T-shirt is walking in circles, talking on a cell phone, through there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the other on the other end. A young woman who’s listening to music is watching him too. We catch each other’s eye, not sure if we should get involved. But that’s the mask we all need to put down, the one that keeps us at a distance. For we’re already involved. The question is how.
