In Mr. Yount's physics class during high school I remember asking a question, "Why does one of my bathroom mirrors reflect differently than one of my others?" It could be for a lot of reasons, he answered, but more than likely it is because the glass and the supporting metal behind it is slightly bent. One is built into a sliding door, I told him, and the other is on the wall. Pleased with the evidence, Mr. Yount nodded. "How do I know which was is the right one?" I then asked. But before he could answer, another question came from the side of the room, "Which one makes you look better?" I turned to the far side row, finding Brad Penley. "The one on the wall does," I told him. "I'd say that's the right one," he replied.
It cracked me up then and still does now. I still don't know which mirror was the right one, atleast not scientifically, but does it really matter? It was a simple predicament for Brad, uncomplicated by in-depth research of any kind. He just went with the better reflection and moved on with his life. That was something I was hesitant to do and, in all honesty, am still hesitant to do. I see mirrors all the time in people, articles, recommendations and gossip, as well as in the glass and silver variety, and frankly it is still confusing. I love to see who I am, or atleast get a glimpse of it somehow, but way too often I want for something objective to show me who that is. Maybe it is a better idea for me to collect all the evidence and decide for myself what reality is. Then I can move on and get to the more important things in life. After all, like I wrote about a year and a half ago, that is what we should really be doing anyway.
