Coming to terms with it

Denial – it’s like one of those one way mirror glasses, which show you your reflection on one side but the other side is transparent and you can see through it all. If you are the one in denial, chances are you are standing on the side which shows you the reflection. You think you are the one with the correct point of view, perhaps have a sense of entitlement and genuinely believe that all is right in the world. You have a devil may care attitude and are making monkey faces at everyone. I mean, why make such a fuss about it all – right is right and other people just need to come to terms with it. You are thinking that its natural for the rest of the world to take time to notice great ideas and your’s is one such case. You are waiting for the rest of them to catch up. The rest of the world on the other hand, is standing on the other side of the glass and can see through it all. They can see your self-delusion and are utterly confused. They are wondering, how one can be so blind and not see that, err, you are so wrong and in the process of self expression, making a big fool of yourself. Some of them laugh at you and leave you for a basket case. Other sympathize, look at you with sad eyes, purse their lips and nod with the thought ‘Oh honey, how I feel for you. I have been there too, I hope you come out through this fine.’ A few have brought out a lawn chair with a bottle of fine wine and set up camp across from you. They are the ones who will encourage you to continue with the stupidity by offering pseudo-sympathy, smiling internally as they gradually push you down the cliff.

As time goes by, the mercury glass gets old and starts to fade. There are transparent spots and blotches in the reflective side and you begin to see what the rest of the world is seeing. Your mind slows down and begins to realize that what you thought is not really the reality. There is another perspective and it may have been the better or more accurate one. It probably brings a lot of shame, guilt, anger and frustration. No longer can you be so confident as before, you begin to walk with a slouch and your eyes don’t want to make contact. You also see the people with the wine glasses and finally realize that they need to go. Go far away from your life and leave you alone. The ones who sympathize, can probably stay as they have been there too. They get it. You finally begin to separate the wheat from the chaff and it starts to feel better. The veil of darkness shifts and soft yellow sunlight begins to peek through the silver clouds.

By the time it all ends, you have probably become stronger and wiser. Experience must count for something, after all. You have removed yourself from behind the glass and exposed yourself to the truth. You get used to the sunlight and it starts to feel light and beautiful again. You go about your life, walking on the paths with a grateful attitude. Until one fine day on your perfect morning walks, you come across the mercury glass again. Except, this time, you are on the other side, the transparent one. You see your friend on the unfortunate other side, behaving like the idiot in denial.
Question is, who will you be now? The one who laughs? The one who nods with empathy? Or the one with the bottle of wine and a glass?