GOOD MIRROR/BAD MIRROR

Pablo Picasso - Woman Before the Mirror, 1948

There are two big mirrors in my bathroom.  In the “KIND” mirror, with soft light coming from behind me, I look quite attractive—at least by common standards for women of my generation.  In the other mirror, the “MEAN” mirror, I look like a  desert rat with the wrinkled face of the woman I have become as a result of the lifestyle choices I’ve made over the decades. Mine is not the face of a pampered, well-cared-for or self-caring woman born with good skin. My super-pale, melanin-deprived skin has had the misfortune of belonging to an impatient, think-about-it-tomorrow, truth-defying and truth-denying woman of an advanced age whose independent decisions led to certain ancient-skin results.   

For decades, through continued misuse and neglect, I failed to protect the largest organ in my all too human body. Avoiding the sun, always wearing a hat, slathering on moisturizers and sunscreen have been sorely neglected aspects in my daily routines. Today the neglect is so evident that I am disinclined to confront my face in that wicked, telltale mirror. Fortunately, I have been far more diligent in protecting my still healthy inner organs. Proper exercise, good food, low stress and lucky genes have served me well.  
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I take a deep breath and sigh and say aloud, “This is how things are, Durham. So, what are you going to do about it?”  I have some ideas. To start, I can refuse to linger in those good mirror/ bad mirror realms and instead devote my time to universal good “mirroring”. 

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