Privacy and hidden identities are something we deal with more and more in our daily lives. They used to be the stuff of super heroes with Batman’s mask and Clark Kent’s glasses. Now we have the Arrow, Arsenal, the Canary, the Flash weekly. But in real life we have government agencies peering into everything electronically, companies gathering our every datum, the faceless power taking our privacy away while remaining anonymous and whistle blowers trying to point out the reality of what that does. In some places discrimination due to religion or sexuality is disappearing, in others living with a mask of normalcy is still necessary for survival due to the laws of the country and the prevailing attitudes and practices of the culture.
There is a great deal in life that is challenging. It can seem as if our inner and outer life are two distinct countries we commute between. To many of us this seems like physics or gravity, the immutable laws that we live by because there’s nothing we can do about them. It’s just the way it is. However, for most people this is not the case. We actively work to maintain this separation every day expending huge amounts of energy to make sure our masks stay in place in public, that no one can breach our defenses or sense our vulnerabilities. We work to make sure we are perceived the way we wish to be and that our personal space, our true self is never exposed to anything which might discomfort it. Within ourselves we achieve miracles, conceive the answers to the mysteries of the universe, build kingdoms of joy and light, and dance with delight and discover peace on earth. Outside we conform, keep safe, belong, go along, and meet expectations in a way that prevents anyone but the most trusted to gain even a glimpse of who we truly are.
I’d like to say that this a bad thing, but it’s not. It’s just fine. It’s exhausting, but it harms no one and allows people to be active members of society. I liken it to builder’s beige. It’s a great color. It rarely bother’s anyone, which is why it’s used so often. It’s neutral, calming, and a great background for other things. The question is, why would anyone want to live a life of beige? If you have a choice, and you do, to be any color you want, as many colors as you want, to live fully and completely with your inner and outer life matching…If you have the chance to make all those dreams and joys and miracles come true in this life, why put all that energy into keeping them contained? I’m not saying it’s easy or that it’s not terrifying or even dangerous for some, but for most of us it’s simply a choice. Do you want to live two separate lives or do you want just one that is truly you?
