Picture: http://mpenaroza.wordpress.com/tag/clothes-line/
Sweet Lana has been encouraging me to write a Blog. I’m not sure I’m up to the task, but when she offered to host me as a guest Blogger, how could I refuse her. She is brave, gracious, perhaps a bit foolish, and kind; a great teacher.
I came to know her by way of a comment at Sazan’s Blog, Madalawi. While emailing, the notion of “showing your true colors” came up; if I recall Lana was teasing me, about something I revealed. This reminded me of Cyndi Lauper's encouraging True Colors, and then (I knew Lana liked Alanis Morsette) I remembered Everything, loving all of someone, their light and their dark.
Lana and I have never met in person; we didn’t know of each other 4 weeks ago. As we emailed and I read the blogs she wrote, was I seeing the “real” Lana? As she puts herself out in front of the public, unknown strangers, does she show her true colors? Would I?
Are we reserved, treading carefully, not wanting to offend, wanting to leave a kind impression, or maybe a smart, carefree and invulnerable one. Do we put on a front, the person we wish to be or the one we want to be seen? Do we hold back, afraid to offend, afraid to be wrong or even ridiculed?
What are our true colors? Are they who we are, who we’ve been or who we want to be? Are they what we’ve done in all the past, yesterday, a few moments or decades ago? Is it the words we write or the voice that says them? Is it what we look like, or how we would like to to be perceived? Is it our good hair or our bad hair day? If we show our colors will we be afraid of rejection, rejection our true colors or just the ones we dared to show?
We conjure up all kinds of images when we write and read words, and then again once we hear each others' voices, when we see each other in photos and then live. Are we afraid the real you or the real me isn’t who we imagined? Are we afraid the affection will fade as we get to know each other better?
What are our true colors? Who we are or who we want to be? Who get’s to decide? If we let them shine though, will they change, becoming brighter or will the reaction make us afraid?
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| Picture: http://www.thesucculentwife.com/green-it-air-dry-your-laundry/ |
I hope your true colors can come shining through, and that you love, and someone loves all your colors, all the brights, and all the dark (your laundry? ;-).
Thanks to the wise, kind women who inspired and encouraged this post.
Dancing Brook (aka Peter K Martel)
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8 comments:
Will Lana let me comment on my post on her Blog?? ;-) For those of came here without seeing Lana's "Being Nice" post, please go read it. It is incredible, certainly shows Lana's true colors.
db
I think our true colours show up as much in our internet chatting as it does in face-to-face meetings. Perhaps even more so, because under the anonymity of an internet avatar, many people let the normal social restraints that operate in personal meetings slip away...and that's when their true colours show. Lana's true colours are beautiful.
Judy, South Africa
Thank you both.... ever so sweet of you...
Judy... I am so enjoying reading your book... I am still reading the first chapter of your Zahra character and so wish that I could shake her and tell her that she needs to show the Little Flower more than that stuck up persona that she chooses to show people... you are so good at grabbing people's interest with the way you write... if it were not for teaching and my kids and other responsibilities I would close my bedroom door and finish the book in one sitting...
Judy, thanks for being my first blog commenter.
Yes Judy, Lana's true colors are amazingly beautiful, and it is a delight to see new ones every time she writes.
And I understand what you mean about anonymity, allowing colors to come through that wouldn't so easily otherwise. I've been there too.
More recently though I find myself being more careful, as I should be, online, or not. I hope that comes through more brightly.
All: Please forgive the errors in my first blog; even my own comments had mistakes. A nice sweet fairy told me Lana's blog which I was referring to in my above comment, is actually titled "Being Kind".
Hmmm this is a really interesting post. it certainly got me thinking about the 'real' me...
it is something i think about too - how i portray myself around some people and also the differences i see in people depending on who they are talking to. I guess the real me is the one i am with my family. if you can't be yourself with your family then who can you be it with!
thanks for an thought provoking post!
This is a wonderful post. The concept of True Colors can be seen from so many perspectives and each of us has our own personal deffinition of what it means to us. Lana's idea (yes, she has wonderful colors and they are all true and beautiful) of asking different people to write about True Colors is pure genius. It's fascinating that we are all going to have a conversation on the same topic from our own personal views. So Cool. Great job - DB. Nie to meet you.
I too loved the idea of bringing bloggers together to share their different perspectives on True Colors... makes the world a little bit smaller still... hmmm... should think of another topic.... For everyone else... watch out for Paula's guest post... coming soon int he next few hours... Love and blessings to all!
Lots of thought provoking questions there Peter. I love that song "True Colours" and used to sing it to my son when he was small. That was what I wanted for him...not to be afraid as I have been of being himself.People often tell others just to "be yourself" etc., but it is a complex social world we live in and learning the rules is not always easy for all of us. Online again there is a whole other set of rules to learn. Allowing your true colours to shine though is again so complex. I guess it is a matter of being as sure as possible who you are and what you stand for in this life. Mistakes, regrets, fears and all...that's what makes us human. And then there is the courage to let go and not worry so much about how other people view your colours.
I totally agree Peter that Lana's true colours are just awesome. She has been a great encouragement and a guiding light for me in the blogging world.
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