Between Pretense and Clarity
Boots slid across the cobblestone, the gullies between the stones shuddering with each step, rippling water through the channels. The man stood out against his surroundings, as little other foot traffic traveled this way at such a late hour. Rain pelted down from the sky irregularly; one moment it seemed to be stopping, only to resume shortly after. Though the air was heavy, the man didn’t mind. His thoughts were elsewhere, and in some ways, the rain coaxed them out.
It was a warm night, but the kind where a wayward breeze might still send a shiver down your spine. Occasionally, the man would stop and look up at the cloudy night sky, seeking a broader perspective on his thoughts and to keep the tears that welled up from running down his face. After a few moments, he would lower his head and continue trudging down the street, his boots creating a rhythmic pattern amidst the chaos of the raindrops.
In the relative silence, the man would mutter fragments of his reflections, too incomplete for anyone nearby to grasp their meaning. Those who might encounter him could question his mental state, and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. He wasn’t in his “right mind,” whatever that meant. People often advised living in the moment, but little consideration was given to the fact that some moments were far from pleasant.
He pondered his existence in a world of pretense, where people masked their true feelings, hiding behind plastic smiles and empty eyes. The fear of being the only ones without happiness compels them to feign joy, but deep down, they are sad. Many are hollow inside. It seems likely that only when we stop pretending do we feel closest to genuine happiness. To most, it might resemble sadness, but in a world where perceptions are often skewed, it is essential to recognize and accept the true reality around us, rather than just what we wish to see.
A woman holding the hand of a young girl approached the man. The girl appeared to be around the age of five. It was evident she was the older woman’s daughter. Years of worry, pain, and laughter had etched lines on the woman’s face. Despite this, a remarkable resemblance to the child she lovingly held onto remained. The girl tried to pull ahead, causing her mother to stumble forward a few steps.
A parting in the clouds allowed a beam of sunlight to break through. Everything in its path seemed to stand out from the gloomy surroundings. Raindrops continued to fall, but it was clear they were the last the dark clouds overhead had to offer. The sunlight illuminated the faces of the mother and daughter as they neared the man. They both had strikingly blue eyes. As they passed, the man nodded his head. Mother and daughter both smiled back at him. The girl shouted something nearly intelligible, and the older woman laughed.
Her joyous laughter brought such a striking change to the man’s thoughts that he straightened up a bit more as he walked. As he walked on, he noticed the shimmering raindrops clinging to the metal fence posts lining the road. They glistened like diamonds as they slowly streaked down the metal posts toward the grass. The man paused to pull in a deep breath. He held it in for a moment then slowly let it out. As he continued, his footfalls were just a bit lighter than they were previously.
