Hello all;
I had a few wandering thoughts today, somehow they seemed to come together with an actor....shown here....who I find not particularly likable. I think I first felt that way when he did the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I grew up on that movie...it was one of the first books I ever read, willingly. Even read the sequel, The Glass Elevator. But, what sort of struck me was how this man has played so very many rolls. Some were tough, some crazy, some lovable and, well, many were just plain weird. And, it made me think of all the rolls we play in our daily lives.
A for instance: my family is coming to my house for Thanksgiving. Wee! Ok, I love my family, just maybe not in my house...for more than a day. I think I have them for 10. So, first...they don't know about you. Sorry, we will just have to keep things on the down low while I play the dutiful son. I may not return in any assemblance of sanity. That happens around my family. It's like having a guest with the flu....they stay for a while, coughing and hacking and after a bit they leave..but now you have the flu. Ok? Same thing...just, well, these folks are nuts.
I thought about how some people live so differently during the day in the working, etc., world, and come home a totally different person. I thought about the working man who comes home and yells at his kids, beats his wife, partner, etc., for the stress he has from work. Would work change if the bosses knew he was so stressed and taking it out on the family? I thought about nudists....I wondered what they do on Casual Friday? Ok, bad joke...but I wonder why is it that we must play these rolls in society different from the rolls we play at home? Why should we care what strangers think of us? Why should we conform to a false culture?
I read an article today in a blog run by a nudist. He spoke about shame, specifically body shame. Isn't that just the oddist thing? Do you suppose native people find themselves ashamed of their body? I don't recall ever hearing of it. It's just skin.... and yet it defines our expectations, our thoughts and fears...even hopes. I grew up in a very body conscious home. I didn't walk about in my undies, and I was always very uncomfortable without a shirt. Can't even tell you why. But, I look back on things and wish I could have been more free. I want that now, and yet I still get nervous walking from my bathroom to my bedroom...what if someone is looking in my window and sees? They'll think I'm a perv! Of course, the real question would be why were they looking in my window....but it's my thinking that's the issue. Even when no one is supposed to be looking at me, I must conform to their rules and expectations. I have to play the role.
