If you are like me, when you start talking to someone new, some of the first things out of your mouth (or on the screen) will basically be a shopping list of what makes you interesting. Whether that is what you do at work, where you went on vacation, or more often than not, what is your major? It is essentially a sales pitch asking somebody to acknowledge that you are in fact a human being.

But what I find generally, is that the person who I say I want to be, and the person I tend to be are vastly different. Like most folks, I want to follow my dream career, travel around the world, and be more expressive in general. Of course, I don't broadcast that I spend more time on Netflix than working on homework, or that I spend more effort complaining about my current job than searching for an interesting one. To top it all off, I get anxious about leaving the house to visit friends, meaning I spend weeks without saying "hi". Of course, that is not going to be what I will advertise. That is not what my Facebook page will say about me, and God help me if my resume' even hints at any of that.

It's almost like being in a never-ending poker game and spending the entire time trying to trick the other players into thinking that you are winning when in reality, you have nothing that makes sense. Yeah, it's fun to pretend, it's fun to play that kind of game, but when the game ends have you really won?

The problem is, we are not in a game, and we are definitely not supposed to be tricking one another into thinking that. There is nothing more boring than someone whose life is perfect. As someone who writes about made-up people, I know that I have nothing to work with unless there is conflict and trial. Similarly, there is nothing as stressful as someone who acts like their world is ending at every waking moment.

The thing is, we have all been in this game too long. Our poker faces have become masks that we wear constantly until the day comes when the mask breaks, and that "perfect" image of life falls to pieces. Letting any of our flaws show has become synonymous with being a mess when in reality everyone has problems. But instead of owning up to any of that, we are encouraged to project images of larger-than-life caricatures of what we have done.

What we are doing is rampantly throwing the results of our insecurities at the world and hoping that it is seen as confidence. We are praying that being emotionless and reserved is what it will take to be accepted. But the problem isn't that we need to be acknowledged, it's that we need to acknowledge our problems. To actually face our issues rather than act like they aren't there requires humility; which is a scarce resource these days. But maybe, just maybe, things will get easier when we take off the mask and be who we are, scars and all.