Papa, Don't Preach

So I was sitting at this Thai restaurant in NYC and looking across the way, I noticed a small circular window through which a girl was visible. Only one side of her face was showing through the window, and most of that was covered by the glass that she was drinking from, leaving uncovered only one eye and some hair. I was struck by an interest in her, thinking that she looked like she’d be pretty. Most salient was the feeling that she looked like she really had it together—a sophisticated New Yorker, she seemed. I found myself intrigued and curious to see who she was, and as I put my glass down, I did just that—the window was not a window at all; it was a mirror. The girl was me.

Every word of that remarkable occurrence actually happened to me. I think that this story should serve as a reminder to me, and everyone who reads it, that we often don’t realize how beautiful, or smart, or “together” and “sophisticated” we really are. It’s hard to do so, but it is important to keep in mind that no matter how badly you might feel about any aspect of yourself, someone else is probably eyeing you through the window, wishing they could be even close to as awesome as you.

Cheesy lesson concluded.