Returns: a collection of self

The masquerade

Thinking back to the concept of the original mask, it's tribal representation was to bring fear into enemies and conceal one's identity. In modern times, a figurative mask might sound somewhat identical. You see, once we want to show ourselves as someone we're not, we hide behind this persona we create to either attract or bring fear into others. People tend to wear this mask of theirs and become someone completely different from what they really are and show themselves off to what they want others to perceive as who they are. Being within a group of those who share their own masks to one another, that's what we call the masquerade ball. I was once in one of these, hiding my face in fear of showing what was really there, instead I showed what I believe the others wanted to see, and so did they. No one in our little masquerade ball dared to show their real cynical conniving faces. With everyone hiding their true self behind this ego of a masquerade, no one could truly tell what was real, nor what was fake. It was only with time that their true colors started to show when something was out of line or context. The elastic band from their mask was starting to expand, and soon enough, it snapped. Having trouble holding the mask to their face after that, they soon give up and the mask falls to the floor, letting everyone see their true face. "It was better when you had the mask on" I'd here some say. And since you no longer had a mask to wear, you were banned from ever stepping into the hall of the masquerade ball again. After that, things progressively started to get worse. I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this, and you're most likely correct. The same thing started to happen with everyone else in the ball, and soon enough, there were only few left standing. Still hiding their faces from the truth from each other. But as with the rest of us, their masks will surely fall off with time.