Mirror, Mirror on the wall

Have you ever looked in the mirror and not recognized the person looking back at you? I’m at the airport, tired and bored, a little cranky because the flight has been grounded due to weather in Chicago (our destination). As I was washing my hands, I glanced up and thought, “Who’s that!?” Looking back at me was a young (ish) composed looking business-woman. The woman had nice hair, nice face, and nice clothing. –The kind of woman I see at airports as well as a myriad of other places, and think, “She looks like I wish I did. She looks like she’s smart, successful and talented. I wish …” And then, there she is in the mirror.

That’s not me, though. At least I don’t think it is. I didn’t recognize that person in the mirror. Today I’m all cleaned up because I just finished up two days of meetings, for a volunteer committee I’m on. I’ve got on a nice outfit, and I’m wearing my glasses. There’s make-up on my face and my hair has been blown dry. Not the norm. I’m really a bedraggled, unsuccessful, not so smart or talented, stay-at-home mother of two. That’s the truth. Ripped jeans, not-so-great shirts, hair in a sloppy falling-out-everywhere half-bun/half-ponytail are my uniform. I like to pretend I’m one of those women I see … no I wonder if they may be pretending too