I don’t like pretense and posturing when
I encounter them in others, and when
I sense even a mere hint of either in myself,
I reject them quickly, like swatting away a
venomous insect before it can poison my system.
These two interlopers seem diametrically
opposed to what we most naturally seek,
which I believe is an authentic, honest Self.
Still, I remember the awkward adolescent days
when pretense and posturing often served as
temporary pseudo-Selves useful for trying on
different personalities in the sometimes very unsettling
search for identity. These desperadoes were useful,
especially when one’s Self felt like some kind of elusive,
wispy character playing now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t
head games on a hormone-rattled, stressed out teenager.
It was a relief when I no longer found them useful.
Copyright © 2005 Robert D. McKinley All rights reserved.