A matter of choice.

“Is the glass half empty, or half full?” This was probably the first philosophical question I was asked in school. Of course, it was a question about much more than the glass of water in front of the classroom. It was then that I was vividly introduced to the idea of perspective. “It’s all in the way you look at it,” the teacher cautioned.

I was reminded of the class and its lesson when I saw Sophie Kahn’s piece. The partially deconstructed (or is it partially constructed?) mask is poignant. It challenges my perspective, once again, and invites me to think beyond the visual image. It makes me think of the carefully constructed masks I’ve worn, the ones that evolved, piece by piece, slowly shrouding my true self. It also makes me think of my life of recovery and how the various masks I’ve used are crumbling, piece by piece, revealing the person I really am. The question remains: Is the mask coming on or off?

Last week, I was fortunate to attend the graduation of five residents at a long-term rehab community. After a brutal year of work, one filled with countless peaks and valleys, the men celebrated their accomplishments and began their new lives of sobriety. After receiving their certificates and heading home, I couldn’t help but wonder about their masks. Were they finally coming off? Had they chipped away at the shell revealing a face, or person, that had been long-forgotten? Or was the moment temporary and mask soon to be restored?

Time will tell, I suppose, but I am left wondering in which direction I’m headed. I hope for one, and fear another, but in the end it is not a matter of perspective, it’s a choice.