The Fool's Mask

Sometimes, when you live your whole life wearing a mask, you can forget who you really are beneath it. At that moment that you take it off, and look in the mirror, the person you see staring back can scare you. You know it's yourself, who you truly are, but you don't want to accept it. You don't want to accept that you have become a stranger, and your mask has become your reality, your life.

When your only comfort comes from putting it on, taking it off can be almost impossible. You're so used to the feel of its plastic mold, that you can hardly tell you're wearing it at all. So well-crafted is this mask, that its details fool all but the most discerning of eyes. Often, it is only a mask-maker or one who is accustomed to their features, that can tell a mask from a true face. In a deck of fifty-two, there are two Jokers, two fools who one must find and separate before you can play a game.

This same concept applies to life. Before you can play a fair game, the liars must be removed from the party. Before you can live a fair life, the mask-wearers must be sorted out. But you can only tell a card is a Joker if you are willing to flip it over. You can only tell a mask-wearer if you are willing to search for them. In a room of fifty-two people, two are always wearing a mask, while the others are easily found by interacting with them. To find the mask, look for a seam.

No mask is perfect. All of them have a seam that separates it from the individual. The trick is finding it. You can only really find a seam if you actively look for it. You have to want to find it, pay close attention to every detail. You have to know it's there. But the true question isn't if there is a seam, but rather, what do you do when you find it? Do you pull off the mask, revealing the person underneath to all the world? Or do you first question yourself as to the reason for it? It is rare for one to wear a mask, such as this, for pure amusement. Rarely, still, for any good reason at all. Are you sure you want to know why they hide? Are you sure you want them to come to light?

If you decide to remove the mask, be prepared for their reaction. To take off the only sense of self that they have, can many times do so much more damage than you'd expect. Be prepared to see them break. Be prepared to see them weak. Be prepared to catch them as their knees hit the floor. Because what you're doing isn't just taking off a false smile. It's taking off the version of themselves that either of you has only ever known.