It's about 35 degrees outside. SUPER cold. Snow, from the super amazing blizzard of December 26th, is still piled up covering most of the lawns. The roads are clear, but there are ice spots. You see your breath when you breathe. Hats, gloves, scarves, big bubbly coats are a must. I mean it's cold.
Soooooooooooooo today, while walking in the parking lot up to my office, I see a young man wearing shorts, sandles (like slip-on Nike sandles), and a blue t-shirt... eating an apple and walking up a snowy hill to class. He was walking in previously made footprints, but he was walking slow. He looked like he was thinking...slowly chewing each bite of his apple. His head was down looking at his steps, but he wasn't rubbing his arms trying to warm himself, or trying to run...he was just moving, almost a slow glide in this chilling cold.
So I'm thinking. Is this dude nuts?!!! It's COLD COLD COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!
And then I remember a young man I met in college at The University of Kansas. I forget his name, but he was a Student Ambassador with me. You know, we'd give tours walking backwards across campus in all types of weather. Anyway, this young man had a disorder where he couldn't feel sensation on his skin. Like he can't feel extreme cold or heat. So for example, he wouldn't feel his skin being burnt if he touched the stovetop. But his skin would be melting and burning. Slightly grose mental image, but you understand. It's dangerous because although he couldn't feel, he could still do damage to his physical body....sorry, I digress.
So back to the kid today...he just was walking calmly and slowly. Obviously, he seemed to not care what others thought about his summer "fit." I mean, I wasn't the only one stareing. So because I'm me, I started thinking some more...
A lot of what I do on a daily basis is because of others' perception of me. But why?! Do we ever really know how other's perceive us, even when we try to create a certain reality for ourselves?? Even when we try to act a certain way and be a certain "thing," others could be perceiving a totally different thing based on their own experiences/biases!!
So this is what I think...reality is our perception and our perception is reality. But if we have no control over other's perceptions...then what really is reality? It's not REAL(ity) at all. It's just a created bubble people live in...so have fun with it, allow yourself to be happy....always to a limit. I mean there are still laws and necessary 'norms,' but to an extent don't surpress yourself! Eat a grilled chicken salad even if others are eating wings! Or eat, a cheesy burger...again, always think about personal health (mental and physical), but don't supress wants/needs even if they don't go with the "flow."
I mean, is that what's wrong with the world? So many people think they got it going on, living in their own REALity bubble, thinking they are perceived one way but completely being perceived in another way?
To me this just leads to people thinking others are fake...but how can people be fake when your assessing them as fake based on your own perception ... which could just be WRONG if not TOTALLY wrong? I mean when we base these thoughts on our own perception created by our own biases it's our real, not really real??
Oh my. My head hurts.
Honestly, whether you are someone who just doesn't mind the cold, or you have a disorder where you can't feel the cold...be you. Wear what you want to wear. It doesn' matter, people will assume or perceive what they want to anyway. So it DOESN'T MATTER! Perception is created internally and it is impossible (in my opinion) to control others perception of you. So because of this...Be You.
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