This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

(Shakespeare, Hamlet)

If my dear readers have been wondering, this season has been filled with lots of observation, lots of thinking, and lots of redirecting.   Thus, less writing.

What has not changed is my commitment to communicating Self through our outer shells.  If anything, that commitment has become stronger.

There are so many reasons that we don’t want to show the truth of who we are… from protective camouflage to unhappiness with ourselves to simple ignorance.   And Self changes, evolves, refines.  Who we were twenty  years ago isn’t who we are today. Sometimes it can be a wrench to say, “this item doesn’t suit me” and give it up.

But real beauty can’t be found away from truth.  The viewer will always be left with a note of discord, a feeling that something does not quite match.

That’s not to say that one has to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve.  One presentation of Self couldn’t possibly convey all there is about me, or about you, even if we wanted it to.  You can keep as many secrets as you like – but whatever you *do* say, that should be truthful.

This world is filled with lies.  It’s filled with people copying other people.  Stand out from the crowd – be yourself.  And dress like it.