The Selfie

We were eating in Boston’s Quincy Market when I caught this reflection of myself in the glass. I carefully posed and held my camera low to take the picture. This reference photo is only a hint of what I look like.

This experience of posing, while looking casual, is exactly what most of the social media selfies are all about. And it’s a form of pretending, even if we don’t admit it. 

The reflection is not me, but it resembles me enough to have caught my eye. That’s the seduction of friends who pretend to exactly like us. We are all flattered by similarities.  But, it’s an imitation of the real thing. 

My favorite part of this painting was the light on my shoulders. That’s why I originally took the picture. It’s crisp and interesting. And those are also the qualities that make friendships good. You know where you end and your friend begins.