Have you ever chased clouds to form faces and pictures? It used to be one of my favorite things to do as a kid.
I was randomly doing that one night on my textured and worn out apartment wall. I kept seeing the word ‘Betty’. I said that out loud and my roommate said it’s because I always drink my coffee in my ‘Betty Boop’ mug. It made sense.
Then I was like… ‘now it looks like beauty.’
‘Don’t let that define you Shilpa,’ she said.
I looked at her confused. ‘What?’
‘I mean… I know that you take beauty seriously and you’re beautiful but don’t let that define you.’
I wanted to tell her how I’m so much more. How I paint, write, make 3d environments, work photoshop like no ones business. How I sing, dance and am the heart of parties. How I’m an honor student. How I’ve been a leader all my life. How I read more than the average human being. How I’ve helped my friends come out of their shells. How I’ve rebelled against people who might as well be sheep. How I’ve won scholarships for myself and for my friends. How I’ve given speeches and how I’ve done charity… Etc… Etc…
But I just kept silent.
After all that I’ve experienced, it’s foolish for me to fight the ‘urge’. The ‘urge’ that people have to sum things up in the most simplistic adjective.
I do love beauty. I love to make things beautiful. But it is only an aspect of my existence.
I’m not looking to tell people to fight that ‘urge’. It’s our comprehensive mechanism. Our gut. It allows us to not get over-stimulated or overwhelmed with information. It allows us to pick and choose our company and go through seas of people unattached.
But it would be fun to try to fight it for an hour… a day… maybe a week…
❤
Stop Waiting For Summer 