I wore a mask, and my face grew to fit it - Essay Example

I Wore a Mask and My Face Grew to Fit It You can do it, Harry! You’re my son! This was the most familiar expression I heard whenI was a child. My parents used to utter these lines to encourage me to do things despite obvious difficulty. I remember them saying these lines when I first joined baseball, when I took an entrance test for preparatory school, when I joined a Science quiz bee, and other times when I needed to perform and be my best. Those days were remarkable because I felt that my parents were with me all the way.

They were there to support me and wish me luck. They were there to boost my morale and make me do incredible things that were sometimes beyond my capability. I was lucky because I have very supporting parents. However, reflecting back on those experiences, I could say that those were the times when I wore a mask. Wearing a mask means not showing my real feelings but feigning them just to please my parents. Every good child wishes for his/her parents to be happy. In order to make them happy, one would normally do things that would please one’s parents and make them proud.

For example, a child would study hard, aim for good marks, or aspire for the most valuable player award. To please my parents, I wore a mask to be what my parents expected me to be. During times I felt weak and afraid, I wore that mask of courage and aggressiveness. When I felt longing to hide at my father’s back on the first day of school, I wore a mask of confidence to avoid disappointing him. When I felt like sinking in my mother’s lap, I wore a mask of strength to perform an oratorical speech in school.

In fact, I have worn many masks in many places just to make my parents feel proud. The mask allowed me to be the person my parents wanted me to be and to bring out the best in me. At first, the mask felt rather unfit and too tight, but as I wore it, it felt comfortable to use, it was as if my face grew to fit it. Using the mask that my parents caused me to wear has made me the person that I am right now, full of courage, strength and goals. The mask allowed me to discover my capabilities and talents.

If I did not wear it in grade school, I would have been ostracized. If I do not wear it today, I will not gain acceptance in the university, and will not have the means to achieve my dreams. The mask has allowed me to exist in the present world, where other mask wearers like me exist (Shadowmat.org). It has gained me appreciation and respect not only from my parents but also from other people around me: my teachers, classmates, friends, and neighbors. The mask has somewhat become a permanent part of me, and it usually skips my mind to take it off even when I am home.

My face grew to fit the mask, thus making it more difficult to get rid of. At home, I need to behave according to my parents’ expectations; in school, I need to do good and be kind to everyone in order to gain acceptance. Indeed, the mask has taught me some lessons to survive in the big, estrange world. Nevertheless, there are people and things that can make me take off my mask. These are my dog, my favorite music, and the time I spend alone in my room. In those moments when I do not wear the mask, I can sit down lousily, eat my favorite food the way I want to, sing my favorite songs, dance to their tunes, look filthy, dream, and reflect on the things that I have when I am wearing the mask.

However, I am also aware that despite the happiness I experience by not wearing the mask, I cannot get rid of it entirely. I know that without the mask, I cannot fulfill my dreams because without it, I am left only with passion. Without the mask that makes me strong and resilient, I would not be who I am today, brave, tall, and determined.Work Cited“Social Masks – We All Project Them.” 27 July 2006. Shadowmat.org. Web. 28 October 2011.