We're all good Actors

I used to think actors in the movies were so amazing. They would have a scene where they had to show such emotion-- such sadness. I was amazed the actors could make it look so real; the way they cried, the way that they had to pretend they had just lost something or someone. I used to think this would be so hard to do, especially because they hadn't lost at all.

 I still think it would be hard to fake sadness and fake it well. But now I believe it's harder to act happy when you aren't. People do this everyday. Our world is filled with the best actors. People have gotten good at painting smiles on their faces and making other people believe they are happy; that their life is everything they want it to be. That's their script. And they play their roll well.

I think of my mom, who worked 12 hours in one day this week. I can only imagine how stressed she must of been, how tired she was.  But she came home with a smile on her face.  I wonder how real that smile was.

I think of the girl who walks in the door of her house, tear stains of smeared mascara on her sleeve. Her parents ask how her day was at school. She answers, "Great" as she hides her sleeves in her pockets. She doesn't want them to worry.

I think of the boy who struggles but doesn't want to talk to anyone about it because he thinks it makes him less of a man. He plays his sport, he jokes with his football buddies, he's gotten really good at fake laughing.

I think of the girl in love who sits across the table from him. She listens to him tell her about the girl he kissed last weekend. Her face is in a soft smile. She has excitement in her voice as she tells him, "I'm happy for you!".  Little does he know her heart is beating painfully.
 

 I wonder why we act.Why is it we are so afraid of anyone knowing that we didn't get the guy, or that we lost a friend,that we are tired, that are bones hurt or that frankly we just hurt? Why do we hide the things that make us human? doesn't being human mean feeling all emotions at times? So why are only some emotions socially acceptable?

I guess that's another part of being human. We usually only do what's socially acceptable: Smile, laugh, say everything is great. If we want to fit into the social norm that roll works. But we lose something valuable when we hide how we truly feel.We lose the ability to connect with people on a deeper level with a full range of human emotion. Speaking for myself I want to see your heart break, and share mine. I want to hear about it when your dreams die. Scream with you when your anger balls your fists. Cry with you when you cant take it anymore. And I need you there for mine.