I love masks! Absolutely obsessed with them… Over the years, with exchanges and forages around unexpected haunts I managed to build an impressive collection.
Let’s see. My go-to mask is my relaxed-and-easy-going one. I wear it for my social engagements, cooking expeditions and random late evening walks. I adore my rare coral twinkly-eyed number intuitively worn in the company of bakery items and happy dogs. Rare so because the mask has a tendency to make me look totally slightly batty to the world.
My second most-used albeit the least preferred is my serious-and-yes-I-am-responsible one. At times I wish I had never found it, but life didn’t really give me a choice and I had to grudgingly add it to my collection. And boy! Was it exorbitant or what! It came at the cost of my sarcastic-but-mischievous masterpiece I had lovingly honed over time and now sits mortgaged on most workdays. A flirtatious one with golden trimmings, a firmly-determined piece and the classic oh-look-at-me-I’m-so-sympathetic also find themselves on the top shelf. And while I am working madly to get hold of a grim-and-angry mask, for the life of me I cannot locate it. The alternative I found sadly bears a close resemblance scrunching–my–nose.
My chest is nowhere full, but with time I will add and start mixing & matching those personalities. Just like playing with my wardrobe! Maybe borrow from someone once in a while. Or combine a few for the super-chic look that goes with certain situations. I even have a good mind to throw on an inappropriate one just for kicks. If nothing else works, I browse and get myself a new mask. As long as it doesn’t come at the cost of my soul, I am cool adding it to my rapidly expanding collection.
I have mastered the science of carrying my masks along without drawing attention to the bulk weighing me down. A skill that took me a while to develop but now I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Can you imagine being faced with your significant other, his ex-girlfriend, your hard-nosed manager and the yummy waffle stall at the same time? Well – I just imagined and trust me – that colossal set of masks nestling me is my lone hope for survival and sanity.
Addressing the elephant in the room, what of the face behind the mask? Well! It is absolutely flawless and concealed. The mirror is fogged with the reflections of the masks and the courage to to wipe it keeps eluding. It tries to convince itself that perfection is ideal and exposure will mar its beauty with scars, lines and abrasions. The conviction is failing even as I write this and my face desperately wants to breathe in the spring air. A smile blooms in reminiscence and earns a few wrinkles while thinking of the select few with whom the masks lay forgotten. Hopefully, a day will come when I am able to donate my entire collection to an antique museum – simply to look at and to learn from.
The more the number of masks, the better. You will be known as a multifaceted person. 🙂
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That sounds good 🙂 Thanks Anoop!
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😛 that’s modern world as I see it.
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I suppose we all wear masks.
Insightful post.
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I suppose… Thank you for commenting!
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I was always under the impression that for every mask you owned, each one would represent a different aspect of either your personality, ego, or a specific emotion. You can never own enough!
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You can never own enough. You can never know when is it enough… Thank you for dropping in Cameron!
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Great post! Indeed, we are all wearing masks, switching them on occasions… Maybe even using them, playing with them. I wonder sometimes, if people do remember the real person behind the mask…
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Thank you for your thoughts! I wonder if people remember or even recognize the real person…
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And you inspired me to write a post about that which will be up in a couple of hours 😉 Feels like tennis here… we pass the ball to each other and play it back 😉
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Makes for one interesting play 🙂 Look forward to it!
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Great analogy. The face behind the masks will have interesting stories to tell.
Best Wishes.
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Definitely! Thank you for commenting!
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“As long as it does not come at the cost of your soul.” It will be good when you don’t need the masks anymore. 🙂
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Oh yes Deborah! Just want to breathe free 🙂
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love it… 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Knowing when to put on which mask is what maturity means i guess! Great post Praju!! 🙂
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True that Adi 🙂 Thank you!!
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Wow! That’s a great post and an honest expression. We all wear so many masks that which one is the true me is bigger question 😉
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Thank you Parul… This question stays rhetorical for a while 😉
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Such a genuine writing voice you show here! Your post reminded me of the two masks I used to have on my wall as a teenager in my bedroom – I had totally forgotten about them! Now I’m wondering where they went to 🙂
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Thank you Christy for such an lovely comment 🙂 I love decorating masks… maybe you can try that once you find them!
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That’s a great idea and thank you for adding that for me! Have a wonderful day 🙂
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[…] we swap masks depending on the occasion? I’ve recently posted a quote and also read a really great post about our true faces or wearing masks and it made me […]
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What about the mean “I’ll kill you” mask? Or may be that’s not a mask :p
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Shush 😛 I am maintaining an image here Rahul!
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Like the others who have commented, I enjoyed your humor/voice of this post. I like the line “I have mastered the science of carrying my masks along without drawing attention to the bulk weighing me down.” Masks can be good in certain circumstances, and even better is knowing which one to put on at the right time.
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I am glad you enjoyed the post… And yes, as of now I really would be lost without those masks.
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I guess a day may come when you run-out of masks. And then life will become so light and cool.
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Or maybe I don’t need masks anymore 🙂 Thank you Dilip!
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I wear all sorts of masks, too. Especially the “Here’s my happy waitress face” mask!
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Ah! I bet there are a few you cannot wait to get rid of!
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You can borrow my ‘angry’ mask any time 😉 My daughter and husband see it every day 😛 On another note, lovely writing. And so true. The masks we wear are simply too many to keep track of, are they not?
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That is kind of you Shailaja… Even your husband and daughter might agree! 😉 Thanks a lot for your comments… I often forget to remove the masks.
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The masked magician revealed her secrets 😀
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That made me sit up all straight and smug 😀 Thanks!!
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😀 haha.. you are welcome 🙂
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I dropped in here hoping to see the theme reveal… U are participating right? Would like to read your posts 🙂 if you aren’t, will still be around for you don’t need alphabets to write down 😉 Keep blogging! 🙂 Best Wishes Prajakta!
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Shashank… You!! I had resisted till yesterday and made up my mind that I simply cannot afford to participate in this challenge. And you just gave that last shove. I signed up. I have gone bonkers 😛
Thank you!! I will be dropping by to motivate you – you better do the same! 😀 😀
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sure sure 🙂 yay! ATB.. of course.. ab join kar liya h to khatam b karna padega 😛 😀 Have a feeling that this space will be more awesome than usual in April 🙂 Cheers!
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Thank you 😛 Harry Potter is what I am rolling with…
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Ah.. how true this is.. we wear those masks wherever we go… hope the fit and are well made..
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Thank you Bjorn… Now I am wondering, what if they don’t fit!
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Alas I think that is what is the common case…
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What a lovely collection. Masks like that have always attracted and fascinated me. Hugs
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Thank you 🙂 That was lovely ❤
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Thanks for visiting my blog and for liking one of my posts. Blessings, Natalie 🙂
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[…] we swap masks depending on the occasion? I’ve recently posted a quote and also read a really great post about our true faces or wearing masks and it made me […]
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