“Mirror,
mirror, what do I see?”
“A familiar image in love with thee”
What could come of egoism? An invitation
to hell, really. I have self-love oozing from every pore on my perfectly
smooth, hairless skin, and confidence coats the soft, shining locks of
magnificence streaming from my head....
And then there’s truth: ego and bravado
are not self-esteem. I have a hunch that what I savor in the mirror is actually
glossed over in lies. This ugly duckling put swan-shaped glasses on and turned
quickly to the looking glass, where she was greeted with ecstasy. And the rave
reviews she gets for ivory feathers and slender necks, all became a dazzling
dream. She will fly close to earth however, yes, as close to ground as possible, in
order to hear all the comments about her remarkable wing span. There is always
a body part untapped. Waiting to be described with a wonderful and fresh
adjective. And she will continue to base her self-worth on these adjectives.
Because it took a long time to leave the Ugly Pond, and going back, while
always an option, is terrifying. She likes the lake of Beautiful People. But
she doesn’t know the rules. Swimming is different here. She mistakenly assumes
that she can glide atop these beautiful waters in front of anyone…but can’t
really copy that effortless glide of all the other swans, as they’ve been here
for years already.