Snap, Flash, and Print

"Cheese!" 

Oh damn it all! Someone just took this hideous picture of me. Despite being somewhat embarrassed I half laugh and I go over to them and I say "Let me see this picture!" And they show it to me...

Sure as hell, it's ugly. 

My friend is laughing their head off "Omg mess." (And I quote that by the way) 

I'm over it though. I mean, it wasn't the WORST picture of me... 

At least I hope not.

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Now, it's a different day, and I'm with another one of my friends. I find myself in a situation in which the tables have turned. I pulled out my phone, pointed it at her and I said "Smile for the camera!" 

FLASH

Well (regardless of the fact that she was stunning), her immediate reaction was to turn away, but luckily, I got it just before she could completely turn. And as I looked at the picture, it was one of the most beautiful pictures I had ever seen. She had a look of being surprised and happy all at the same time, and her long hair was whipping around her head. 

She had a beautiful smile on her face.

She commanded "Let me see it!" And I proceeded to turn my phone screen towards her and an utter look of HORROR consumed her face. 

"Delete that right now!" 

And I replied laughing "Oh come on it's cute!" 

"No it's hideous!"

"You look beautiful!"

This minuscule spatter continued for a little bit. Then she convinced me to delete the photo off of my phone after a little pleading. 

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But when I returned home, I got to thinking...

How distorted are our minds to think that we are no longer beautiful? 

What caused all this? Was it the crude remarks we got as children from classmates that didn't know better? Was it the fact that even though, back then, we couldn't really fathom emotions? The truth that regardless of how naive we were, we were influencing a future person? These things aren't apparent to 5 and 6-year olds.

But the scars remain.

Nothing changes what happened.

But we determine what CAN happen.

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You know, sometimes the eyes in which we see through can be distorted. But is it really our eyes? Or is it the mirror we choose to look through?