We all have more than one face — the one that we show the world most of the time. Behind that there are often several more that we take care not to show the world.
Las t night I watched the Jimmy Barnes story, and was saddened, horrified at what some children have gone through — and I daresay some are still going through. A tragedy that only the strong can survive.
I’d planned this topic before I watched that story, and it made me realise that we only see what people want us to see. And as a society often we take things at face value — seeing only what we like and glossing over any thoughts that just maybe what we are seeing could be a facade.
As a small child I quickly learnt not to show any weakness to the ‘stronger’ ones at school. I learnt to put on a ‘brave face’ to fool the world. Many of us keep on using that brave face amongst others into our adult life. Masks to pretend we are not hurt, not excited and so on. We hide the real us behind our masks. We put on our ‘poker-face’ to survive.
I hear so many stories about people who have suicided, and how they seemed to be going okay — how they’d been quite ‘normal’ up until their death. Masks.
Kelly wrote a poem in 1995 — five years before her death and she called it Masks.

You probably won’t recognise me today Because I have taken of my many masks.

You have never met me before Nor have you ever seen me this way.

So hell my dear friend, at last we finally meet, I have uncovered myself to introduce you to me.

Feel free to walk away and leave me in this crazy world, For i may have the urge to do so myself.

And if by chance I do leave you, I want you to know that it is forever…. Goodbye.

When I first read this it didn’t mean a lot to me, but the more I look, the more I see.
We need to become sleuths around those we may think are vulnerable and ask questions, because sometimes if we don’t, we are only left with questions.