For some years now, I have been cultivating the habit of sitting back to reflect on my conclusions about various situations and people, and to question whether or not I was justified in making them. Most importantly, I ask myself if I truly had all the necessary facts to make a strong statement about anything at all. I commit my time to this because I find it necessary to step outside of my own head for a bit, and each time I do, I realize that most of the things I see in the world are not exactly as they seem. Most of the people I come across are not exactly who they appear to be either.
For example, I might see a colleague at work who dresses so finely, with clean shoes, crisp shirts, and a fresh haircut every day, yet I may not understand the financial problems he might be dealing with. I would not know whether he bought those perfect clothing accessories before his finances started to dwindle, perhaps due to the illness of a family member or a new unavoidable expense. I mean, what looks great on the outside may also have another story underneath.
It is the same way people look at me and assume I do not have pressing problems simply because I rarely ask for help or rely heavily on others for emotional support. I suppose constantly showing up for those around me and putting on a smile as often as I can, even when I am in difficult situations, also contributes to the conclusions people draw about my life. But that is not always representative of how I am feeling inside or what's happening in my world. Sometimes I put up this persona because I dislike complaining about things I cannot control. Other times, it's due to the fact that I also have not fully normalized opening up to people about the parts of my life that's gorged with sadness.
Right now, I'm struggling with the perfect way to end this freewrite, but I guess I will leave it with this.
How people appear daily and the way certain situations turn out are not always true representations of the facts behind them. Sometimes it is simply how life has twisted a particular event, or how people choose to cope with their problems. So I hope that the next time we come across other humans like ourselves, or experience everyday happenings in the world, we do not think in absolutes. Instead, we should allow room for the facts we may not be privy to.
This blog post is a response to the Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt, Day 3031: Not Representative Of The Facts.
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