lunes, enero 14, 2008

Through a mirror


Mirrors are part of our daily life, we do use them almost everyday when we wash our face, when we dry our hair, when we just want to check how clothes fit us or whenever we drive.

Since ever I have had curiosity on how the mirrors were made, I am kind of fascinated on how do they reflect the image and how precise this image is. We do not need modern technology to be able to see ourselves or even far distant objects, and they were created many years ago without any need of semiconductors or high tech.

However they still attract me on how they can reflect our image and it is sometimes interesting to appreciate how we are similar or being changed physically.

I think it’s interesting, because in our daily life what we do most is look through our eyes to those people surrounding us, but, on the other hand, how often do we really have a chance to see ourselves other than when we wash our face or put on a tie to go to work? When was the last time you remember to have seen yourself eating, laughing or sitting in the train?

In any of the daily above situations, like when we wake up, we wouldn’t spend more than one minute. Compared to the daily time we see others with the same eyes, that’s almost nothing!

Not only to see our current aspect, mirrors can sometimes be a useful therapy. Have you ever tried to face yourself in front of the mirror and start asking yourself questions, or simply talk to yourself?

I remember I had done so before a couple of times. For example, when I was very tired or sleepy after a long night out of home and finally came back, I sometimes saw in the mirror an expression of myself being so tired that I never imagined I could have! Then I started asking to “the mirror” what the hell was I doing being home so late when I seldom go out till that late at night.

On that day, even though I assume feeling tired as something normal in a regular daily life, it was one of the few times I ever stopped for a while to see how I looked when I am very tired. Something that for sure other people around me could see, but I could not realize until I went back home!


Another time I had a food poisoning which was very severe for my health. I thought I would pass away on that night because I was feeling really sick – Will explain that story in detail in some future post cause I did learn from it-. I had to go so many times to the bathroom and once I could stand up and see myself, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
That person on the mirror looked alike me, but I could seldom imagine myself in such a situation because the image I saw was quite different from what I am used to see in my “normal” day. There was a kind of big gap between who I thought I look alike and the person who was actually reflected on the mirror.

Questions on what I saw followed my mind for some seconds… what was I doing there so far away from home, looking at one mirror which could be there for years and where certainly many other people had passed through before me. They say the walls of the houses remind all sounds and conversations happened among the families who lived in between their walls, sometimes they say that walls could speak out a lot of histories happened… but so do mirrors as well.

I started seeing myself alone, sick on that day, weak and tired as I never experienced before. This was the image I saw on the mirror and next following questions were trying to match this new “image” of me with the one I “regularly” have.

I was so sick and weak that simply I could not recognize myself in the mirror. My mind was there, trying hard to overcome the sickness, while my body had got lot of pain inside.

Do you think the person you are and how you look “fit” properly? Have you ever practiced a speech in front of the mirror, for coworkers, friends, relatives,…? Ever told loud how stupid you are in front of a mirror for being mad of something and later on thought on how stupid does it sound to tell so to a mirror?


It does sometimes feel so, but at the same time we can learn a little bit on how other people will see us. It is sometimes good to ask ourselves who we are, what we want and how we are seen. Even though looks are not important, to see how other people perceive we are does matter. And sometimes the only thing we can do for it is not only asking or seeing other people’s attitude, but to see our own attitude, how we laugh, how we talk normally, how we gesticulate in certain situations.
This brings a self knowledge which is good to know from time to time – at least not to forget.

We are a clear reflection of ourselves and people who surrounds us, our environment, history, experience. Ask yourself not only how you look, but also what you want to do, who you want to be, what is your dream, why did you succeed or fail, what is your next step, what makes you pain or simply how was your day. For a few seconds everyday.

Mirrors were also used in tales to predict the future. I do not know how this popular idea came across writers’ minds, but, thinking about it carefully, if you do look at the mirror often, understand who you are and what you want, the mirror will certainly reflect your future as soon as you reach it - day after day.

Tries, mistakes, regrets, tears, happiness, achievements, all these can be reflected one day and another in a mirror.
Sometimes we just need to look at ourselves from time to time to see how these experiences build us. It helps to see, it helps to improve, it helps to learn.


People sometimes wish would have a magic mirror and see how life will be in one year time. In a long term it would be useful to see, but most of the times, in a short term, I don’t think we do need such magic mirrors. Who will we be in a few years time is already here, daily.
We simply need to make our way in the direction we wish to. And whenever we may fail, ask ourselves how to change it so that our life will be a reflection of our attitude of life.

Get a wish, stick it to the mirror, and remind to do effort every day for it so that your actions will be driven to achieve it, step by step. The mirror will tell in the future when you finally succeed on it!

My wish is to go back to asia and make a living there, or, at least, never ever loose the touch with asian countries, their culture, people and friends. Will it happen in the future? I ask the mirror everyday to tell me about it, and the answer I daily have is the same: “I am doing all efforts for it, therefore I will certainly achieve it.”.

Some day soon I will look at myself in the mirror, and it will be a mirror placed in asia, for sure!