A "Once Upon a Time" Story about Mirrors

Once Upon a Time in a land not too far away, there lived a man who was 64 years old but looked 45 or 50. People were amazed how someone almost half way through their sixth decade could look so young.

In the adjoining land there lived a woman who had never seen her face so she had no idea what she looked like except for...

Except for the comments of others when she was growing up. Her family thought she was beautiful and told her so. But when she got into school other comments were made about how big her nose was and that her weight and height made her nose look even bigger. Unfortunately the story her family told her about herself was lost in the views from others. She thought she was ugly. She didn't have a good peer mirror.


The stage was set for them to meet. He went on a business trip to her hometown and stopped at the local cafe and there she was: a young adult working as a server. He noticed her looks and size and thought, "I wonder how she feels about herself based on how she looks. I bet it isn't very good." Of course he was right. She figured she must be the ugliest person alive.

She waited on him. She was a good server so he tipped well out of appreciation not out of pity. Since he had to be in town for the week he kept coming back to the same little cafe and asked for her to be his server. By the third day they were talking like old friends. She finally asked him how old he was and like most people she was surpised how young he looked for his age.

When business was slow they talked and talked. And ever so slowly, not that anyone could see, she began to change how she saw herself. In fact she got to a point of not caring about her looks. How did this happen? Simple. The man befriended her and accepted the woman who had lost her parent's mirror. She began to see herself through his eyes.

By the end of the week it was hard for both of them to say goodbye. She felt like she was losing a much older brother and he felt like she was a young adult with lots of underused potential. So they said their goodbyes.

Once upon a Time in a land not too far away there lived a woman who had never seen her face in a mirror. The only mirror she had had been her family and the man. She began to walk a little taller and straighter. She talked friendlier with customers. She even thought about going back to school for training as a nurse; something she secretly had wanted to do.

Once upon a Time in a land not too far away lived a man who looked younger than he was. After meeting the young woman he didn't age so much as look wiser to himself.

Once upon a Time in a land not too far away there were two people who looked at each other and exchanged mirrors.

HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW

What did you say?

I knew a ninety year old lady who told my pregnant wife "to put an ax under her bed in order to cut the pain" (of labor).

My grandmother said when I was quite young, "If God had meant men to go to the moon he would have given them wings."

Someone said, "A watched pot never boils."

Mom said to her eight year old daughter who was on her way to school, "Dear put a sweater on, I'm cold."

There are a lot of expressions like this often called "old wives tales" or "mommisms". Generally they were cute expressions regardless of whether they were true or not.

Today's "truths" include, "The President is a Muslim". "Black people are lazy".
"All politians are dishonest." "Democrats are liberals and Republicians are conservatives." Hispanics should learn English if they want to be Americans."Often these things are believed at face value much like those old statements from yesteryear.

There is a no harm no foul kind of mentalitiy to our having opinions about things like politics or social issues.In fact it will be interesting to see what happens to these social beliefs in 50 years.

Try these on for size for 2060: "Left handed people are evil". White people are mean." "The President is a grandmother." "Poor people continue to be poor or under..."(you fill in the blank) "Americans have come to accept being the third richest country in the world."

Is there a point to all these quotes? Sure is. Take what you belief or just know to be true with "a grain of salt." (Maybe even a whole shaker in some cases). What would our country be like if we took things with a bit of doubt, a sly grin that we know better, with a humble attitude or took ourselves less seriously."

These are my thoughts about thoughts. "Here today gone tomorrow."

" Well I'll be.."

Have you ever said to yourself or another person, "I just can't seem to be myself around him/her? Or maybe you said out loud or in your head, "I feel awkward around
her/him. I'm afraid I'm going to say the wrong thing."

How does that happen? Yet,when you are with others you relax and freely speak you mind. It is almost like you hide yourself from certain people lest they be critical or ignore you. This person or persons may be any relative: a mother or brother or even a coworker or boss. The point is there is a fear of being yourself.

Again, I ask the question: How does this happen? How do we put ourselves in a one down position with them? Could it be we believe they have some kind of power over us? Perhaps. Could it be this person reminds us of someone similar in our past and we are reacting? Or maybe they just don't like us for some unknown reason and we pick up on their negativity.

All those are possible explanations. Take your pick. Before you do here is another possibility: The stories we tell ourselves and that others "tell" us about us "do us in". We believe our own stories and their stories; sometimes to our own detriment.

Joe: "Hello Sally. How are you? Today?"("I wonder if she still sees me as that guy who can't put together a simple sentence together in a meeting?")

Sally: "Oh Hi Joe. Can't stop now I have a deadline." ("What a boring guy. Never says what's on his mind and talks in a monotone.")

Joe: "Well. Ok. Sal. Good, err great to see you... maybe we can touch base later."

Sally: "Sure." ("I hope not.")

Joe: ("I've always been awkward with words around women. I just can't seem to relax and just have a normal conversation with them.")


Joe goes home and tells his wife about the short encounter he had with Sally. In fact he finds himself getting angry. "I get so made at myself for losing my confidence around women like Sally who think their better than others."

Wife: "Honey did you hear what you just said? You said 'made' instead of 'mad'."

Joe: "What Cindy? I did? As in I get so mad for not being myself?" Or "I made myself so mad I could have let her have it."

Cindy: "Yes Joe you sort of said both."

Joe: "I did didn't I?" Well I'll be... Sounds to me like getting mad gets me going.

Cindy: "Hmm."

Joe: "You know what? I remember someone like Sally whom I was shy around until I got angry at her for treating me like dirt. And you know what happened? She backed off and we began to talk."

Cindy: "I remember that incident. I remember when you have asserted yourself with me too. We end up having better sex and more respect for each other."

Joe: "Well I'll be..."

TWO IMAGINARY STORIES: BOTH TRUE

He Said: "I sure don't know what the matter is with me. I feel blue all the time. Or at least for the past month or so. What do you think is going on Dear?

She Said: "I don't know. How is work these days?

He: " Oh just the same old same old. Jack, my manager is a pain in the butt. But that's nothing new.

She: Well what is new?

He said: Nothing. (pause) You know what I'm bored. There is nothing new about work. No fun. No challenges. No real teamwork. I just go do my job and come home. Some days I don't hardly talk to anyone. It's hard to visit in those cubicles.

She: What do you think about what you just said?

He: Well I guess I heard myself say there is not enough stimulation at work. With colleagues or the work itself. I could do my job in my sleep. In fact sometimes I do cat nap with one elbow
on my desk.

She: Bored huh? You didn't used to be.

He: I know. I just don't have any zip left these days.

She: There seems to be a theme here.

He: You're right. I am bored. And I used to actually have fun at work with my peers.

She: Who were the fun ones?

He: There was Peter, Alice, and John. We'd go out to lunch a couple of times a week. We even brown bagged it. Remember?

She: I sure do. You would come home and tell me about their antics. You were like the four musketeers.

He: We were. I wonder what happened? We're all still around.

She: I don't know. (noise from other end of the house). You kids settle down in there.
Well dinner is almost ready. Would you check on the kids and get them to wash up for dinner?

He: Sure. Well. I don't know why but I feel better. I'm actually looking forward to dinner tonight.

The End

Story Two:

HE: Hi Dear. How was your day?

She: Fine. The kids were their normal selves. And your day?

He: Oh it was okay.

She: What happened?

He: Nothing much. Just another day. (Sighs) I think I'll go read the paper.

She: Would you set the table for me sometime before dinner?

He: Sure.

The End