Rows and rows from the stage, Samin Nosrat’s words echoed in my ears. I’m unsure why it is calling out to me now, but it may be the silence of solitude on a rainy and pitch-black 3.11 AM. (Curse the black tea which I over-poured and over-steeped).
There’s no doubt that we, humans, are social creatures. The fabric of our civilizations depends on common understandings and unspoken agreements between a group of, pretty much, strangers. Inside the confines of society, we live neatly within a boxed set of rules.
While we mostly function within social units, groups and communities of individuals, there come rare moments when no soul is around. In these moments, “who are you when no one’s looking?”
Because with no eyes staring, no image to uphold, no expectations to live up to, and no one to please, without all of that, who do you become? Are you the same person who you are with your family? With your lover? With your friends? With your colleagues?
Do you still smile that sweet smile you reserve for cameras? Do the curves of your body still displease you? Do your dreams and ambitions still hold true?
You are as free as you can be when no one’s looking. When you’re free, who are you?
Are you a dreamer of witchcraft and wizardry disguised under the cloak of a truck driver? Are you a singer hiding underneath your white coat? Are you a mother without your three children?
Imagine a world where every “I” loves and learns who they are and who they want to be. Imagine a world where every “I” acknowledges and marvels in their own and only presence. Every “I” appreciates every “we” because “we” is simply composed of “I’s.” We can become stronger when we are more confident and loving of ourselves.
So I ask you, “who are you when no one’s looking?”
