as the title says, it's an "odd place" to put this entry. but what the heck. read on. on the off chance that you pick up something useful..
has this ever happened to you? you're walking around the mall when someone shouts out your name, approaches you and launches into the familiar "hey-how've-you-been-long-time-no-see" conversation starter? you look quizzically at him/her.. while at the same time answering numerous questions and listening to his/her funny anecdotes. you nod once in a while, laugh at his/her jokes, politely ask general questions about family/friends/work while simultaneously trying to place this odd person who's striking up an uncomfortable conversation with you.
mercifully, after several agonizing minutes, he/she utters the blessed words "well, i guess i'll just see you around again then" and leaves. and you still have no idea who the heck you were talking to. you were too darned "polite" to ask his/her name.
yeah, well, all of us were taught to be polite. to not hurt other people's feelings. to always look cheerful and friendly. so we learn to stop saying bluntly honest statements children normally say (like "your fly is open"). we learn to hide our ignorance and weaknesses. we learn to pretend that we know a lot of things. we learn to put on masks. lots of masks.
and we're willing to do *anything* to let the charade continue. we keep up the pretenses.. even at the risk of losing ourselves. we plow through life pretending to be people we're not.. making decisions and commitments we can't really keep (or stubbornly sticking to our choices, even when we know they are wrong) all because we want to prove to others that we are strong.. that we always know what's right.
silly, huh?
but that's life.
and really, it's an odd place to be.
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