"Love Me, Hate Me"

"i swear...all you need is just a little more blush!"

These days I've only gotten to realize more and more that the opinions of those we value don't nearly matter as much as those we do not even know. It's strange but haven't we found ourselves fidgeting with our hair when waiting for the bus to come or while waiting in line for our fast food order? We subjugete ourselves to the fears that we have to make a good first impression to strangers. It's a subconscious act but one that plays a much deeper social role. We preen, pluck, shave and style to please not just ourselves but to put ourselves on display.

It's always at the oddest times that I find myself wondering if the person next to me in the check-out line thinks I look ok or if I have food stuck in my teeth. The opposite occurs when I'm around those I value and love. I'll never have a second thought as to the fact that my teeth are not perfectly straight or that my hair is being extra fizzy. Perhaps it's a good thing. We become so comfortable withourselves that we tend to 'assume' that the people we value have always approved of how we look.

I just find it interesting that those we do not know or care for (ie the stranger we walk by on the streets) are the ones we feel most compelled to impress.

Ingrained Socialism at its best, I suppose.