Some we wear on a daily basis and others we wear from time to time when needed.
Like the song The Stranger, by Billy Joel says: “Some are satin, some are steel, some are silk and some are leather.
I’ve worn them all, I think most of us have.
I wear the satin mask when I need a little shimmer to deflect the attention away from me in a soft way and to change the subject to one I can handle at the moment.
The steel one comes in when I am just so detached and distant and also fragile as to not let anyone in, I’m not going to budge and I don’t want to be bothered in any way, shape or form. This one is more or less my “Do Not Disturb” warning.
The silk one comes in when, in conversation, I need to be smooth or decide to ‘go with the flow’ of the topic whether I’m in the mood for it or not.
As for the leather one, well, when I need to be strong or tough, this one comes in handy.
I’ve even added a few to the mix over the years, such as:
The Brave Mask: Or as I call it ‘My Brave Face’ when I need to handle something that seems so much bigger than me and I need to muster up some or all of my courage just to get through it.
The Court Jester Mask: When things seem too tense I will use this masks for a few laughs and to soften things a bit. Or when I just want to chill out and have a few laughs!
My Sad Mask: When I’m alone and dealing with something that really upsets me I need to let out all the emotions and kind of hit the reset button. If the emotions stay bottled up it’s usually not a good thing.
Masks aren’t necessarily wrong or bad. They often help you get through some otherwise uncomfortable, scary or embarrassing situations.
Which ones haven’t you worn….yet?
Did you try any on for size that weren’t what you expected?
Which one did you vow never to wear again?
What kind of masks are in your arsenal?
The question I have for you today is: “Why do you wear them?” “Is there something you’re hiding?” “Are YOU hiding?” From who? From what?