'We compare ourselves amongst ourselves'

Lauryn Hill's MTV Unplugged No. 2.0  always hits that spot for me. You know--that spot that on a sappy hot summer day, only a cold cold ice dripping coca cola classic, IN THE CAN, can hit? Its that thing that tastes so good it makes you close your eyes for a second and you sort of wish you could just lay nestled in that moment.  But its just one of those pleasurable things you should only experience every once in a while otherwise-- you wouldn't appreciate it. When you listen to Lauryn, you get a feel for-- whats real. Alot of people don't know whats real until they are truly stripped of everything, left barren and naked in the world. The media makes us think things that most times should only exist in story books. The true visuals of that 'happily ever after' phenomena. She reminds, as she sits on stage with only her voice and guitar, that everything we see with the eye, and hear with the ear, is a lot of times a facade. I mean think about it. Celebs seek out to make those who don't hide behind shades, believe that what glitters IS gold, and that Hollywood is the visa that takes you everywhere you wanna be.

So many people falling into the music videos and  the television shows, not stopping until they officially get stamped as "Hollywood". Their vision is so tunneled that they forget to glare off and see reality. Ms. Hill reminds us that we, always thought we could get reality by just putting on the clothes and wearin’ the face . And that's deception. A lot of people in the world are fearful of being different. Scared to let the idea of individuality surpass the levels of there nightmares, so they settle with being like everyone else. It is as if we want everyone to see us, as we wish to see ourselves. What's the point in looking into mirrors, to see ourselves? Why not paste the covers of magazines to your bathroom wall, break the glass of reality, and let those images dress you. Let it fix your hair and make you  tug at your tie as you look again and say to your self 'I look good' basing your truth only on whats in front of you.

If there was no visual media, the world would spin differently. People would help carry the grocery bags of hard working women walking home from work, instead of striving to carry an expensive bag with nothing of true value inside. Kids could miss out on finding more reasons to bully one another because they wouldn't know what to compare COOL to.   Its not to say that we should not be afforded the luxury of having nice things, nor is it entirely detrimental to our existence if two people have the same kind pair of 'shoes'. The big picture here is that its when we let those things that we are able to have, overcast whats most important. Its when we walk in those shoes blind to reality and are only able to strut forward being satisfied with whats not real.

In today's world, the rhyme has been changed to:

Mirror Mirror on the wall

Who do I want to be like MOST of all?

How about ME? How about YOU? And remind ourselves that what we see in Hollywood,
 isn't always true.

 Get out. Don't be real for me. Just be real for you.