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Acting the Part



I like to get into the gym around 7:30am. This is early enough that the people who want to sleep in are not there yet, but late enough that the people who have “real jobs” are already on their way to work. Today, however, kids were out of school because of the holiday, and that meant my normally “quiet” time at the gym was much busier with high school kids getting in their morning workouts.

As I maneuvered around the students, I was struck by their collective appearance. The boys all had scruff of some form or another along with easily concealed tattoos (mom and dad still probably don’t know) and the girls were all done up with plenty of makeup and I could tell they had already spent quite a bit of time on their hair before even coming in to sweat. I have a hard time relating, especially to the latter example, as I am always far less than presentable at the gym. Between the tattered gym clothes and constant stream of sweat, I often look like a homeless man who has just walked through a car wash by the time I am halfway through the workout.

But this was more than just being presentable - both the young guys and gals seemed quite determined to appear older than they actually are. This is in stark contrast to pretty much everyone else at the gym who is in there working out so they can look and feel YOUNGER. I wonder if there is a demographic in there content with their actual age?

It’s not just the high school kids who are stuck attempting to appear as something they are not, it’s nearly everyone. And this goes far beyond perception of age. Our world is filled with people who are constantly performing for others and putting on a show for people they don’t even know and may not even like, desperately seeking to appear as something they are not.

As human beings, we are all susceptible to this pressure. If you are not careful, you may find yourself auditioning for endless roles you think others would like to see, instead of playing the part for which you were specifically cast.

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