YOU CHECK YOURSELF OUT IN INAPPROPRIATE PLACES AND INAPPROPRIATE TIMES
I had a friend in high school that played trombone. We played in Jazz band together. And unfortunately, the rehearsal space had a bunch of mirrors on one wall. Said friend, who was athletic, would spend the majority of said jazz band rehearsal, staring into said mirror, flexing subtly, winking at himself, futzing with his hair. It was creepy and weird. Especially because I, the guitar player, was forced to sit directly between him and the mirror.4
At the time, I was horrified at being forced to witness such vanity. As I got older and wiser, I realized that I’m just as vain.
We all are.
Who here doesn’t walk past a big reflective window and not instinctively take a quick glance? And by quickly glance, I mean stare at yourself and make selfie-faces?
I once found myself at a funeral pre-occupied with how symmetrical my tie was. The reflection in the wall kept me occupied for more seconds than I’d like to admit.
Humans are vain creatures. All of us. And not just people who obsess about their appearance, but people who neglect their appearance and avoid seeing themselves at all costs — that’s another form of vanity. Vanity is when you let your physical dimensions control your relationship with yourself. And unfortunately, we live in a culture that promotes this obsession the same way it promotes sliced bread. That is: everybody needs to have some.
Great onee