Have you ever taken a close look at yourself in the mirror and wondered, “Who is that?” Isn’t it weird that people are generally concerned with their appearance, suggesting that they believe it defines who they are?

Consider this: You see yourself in the mirror every day. You clothe yourself in a way that suits your personality. What you perceive as “looking good,” is what you wear or accessorize to accentuate your personality.

What ‘trips’ me out the most is the mirror itself. We all have our own idea of how we look at our mental image of ourselves, or residual self-image as “The Matrix” puts it. The thing is, when you look in the mirror, you see yourself backwards. The ideal that you see in the mirror is not the person that others see.

You might comb your hair a certain way without thinking that it’s going to appear reversed to someone else. You may look at yourself in a photo and exclaim, “This is a terrible picture of me.” Many people look at themselves in the mirror and hate what they see. I admit there have been times where I’ve disliked my mirrored image and actually preferred how I looked in a photo instead. It’s all a matter of preference. I don’t think anyone can see you the way you see yourself and I don’t think you can really see yourself the way others see you.

It is neat how there are billions of people all with their own personalities, clothing, hairstyles, etc. You don’t typically see animals putting on stunner shades or Heely shoes to set themselves apart from others, although there are some weird pet owners out there.

There’s a good reason that we wear clothes: our lack of fur or feathers, plus the whole “forbidden fruit” thing from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden that kind of damned humanity’s future by making us aware that we are, in fact, naked.

I don’t know what it is that makes people choose certain styles of clothing, but some people just aren’t good at it, apparently. I was watching a reality show titled, “What Not to Wear,” about people who suck at dressing themselves, but luckily the “fashion police” give them money to buy a new wardrobe as long as they promise to throw out their old clothes. It’s just funny seeing how some people have bad taste and need others to show them how to dress properly, because the world wouldn’t go on for them if they didn’t learn, right?

Not that I know anything about fashion, but it’s interesting to think about what it means for some of us. In America, a lot of fashion or appearances are derived from Hollywood. Fake breasts, plastic surgery, anorexia, etc. It’s sad that in the world of Hollywood, plus-size is considered fat.

I’m not going to get started on fat though. That’s an epidemic and a large topic in itself. Pun intended. There’s nothing wrong with being a bit over weight anyhow. It’s just messed up that Hollywood can make people feel like they aren’t slim or beautiful just the way they are.

So what needs to be done for you to be able to look into the mirror and be happy with what you see? Remember that how you look in photographs is the real you, unless you’re using the self-facing camera on your cell phone. Those cameras tend to take pictures in reverse. The important thing to understand that you are you and people will appreciate you for that. It also helps to have a loved one or friends who will compliment and tell you that you look fine.

If you are unhappy with your body, then go workout. Go to the gym. No, seriously. You’ll have more energy after and feel really good about yourself. Take a class at the gym or join a fitness class at LMC. Working out with others who have similar insecurities can create friendships and boost self-esteem for all parties involved. Be proud of who you are.