Walden Speaks...
An open letter to my mirror; For as long as I can remember, you’ ve always been there, hanging on the wall in my room. You used to be exceptionally honest to me too. I would show you my outfit, and you would tell me if it matched or not. If I tried out a new hairstyle, you would let me know how it looked. You’ ve even saved me a few times from leaving my house with particularly awful outfits. I used to always trust you, I mean, I had no reason not to. But, for a while now, I think you’ ve been lying to me. What you have been telling me is a lot different than what everyone else has. The first time you lied to me was in third grade, my first day of school too. I asked you if my hair was alright, and you said it was beautiful. You showed me a seven year old girl with curly, reddish brown hair, that came to just above her waist. I loved what you showed me, and I went to school feeling nervous, but confident. That school day, during recess, a boy came up to me and told me that curly hair was ugly. I went home that day and stood in front of you, begging you to tell me the truth, but you kept lying to me, telling me my hair was fine. So, I asked my mom if I could get a haircut. She agreed, and that night, I had all of my hair cut off. It was just long enough to be put up into a small ponytail. I wore my hair up every day for the next six years after that, never letting it grow out. I want to believe you mirror, I really do, but when even my family contradicts you, it’ s a hard thing to do. You always tell me that I look fine, but I can’ t trust anyone over my own mother, right? Remember that day, a while back when I had a doctor ' s appointment. I asked you about me and you said I was perfect. I believed you, until the doctor weighed me. My mom saw the numbers, just a few higher than her own, and decided that I needed to work out more, that I wasn’ t fine the way I was. Or when my friends talk about their relationships, and people who like them, and I don’ t have anything to contribute to the conversation because I’ ve never had a relationship. No one ' s ever liked me, and it makes me think that the way I look must be the reason why. These things have happened to me so many times mirror. I used to like myself because you told me good things, but the rest of the world seemed to disagree. It was you against the whole world, mirror, and that’ s hard odds to beat. Since I couldn’ t believe what you were telling me, I had to start lying to my parents. They would ask me if I ate breakfast, or had a lunch to take to school, and I lied to them, told them I did. I even had to lie to my friends. They would ask why I wasn’ t eating lunch, and I had to tell them that I ate when I got home, and you know I didn’ t. I hated doing this mirror, and it was all your fault, you turned me into someone I wasn’ t. I’ m not mad at you anymore though mirror. You tell me what everyone else does now, and I don’ t think that’ s ever going to change. I realize now that you were always honest, however, I still can’ t bring myself to believe everything you say. I’ m letting my hair grow out though, and I even wear it down now, and that’ s a start. I will never believe what you say like I used to, mirror, but, I know it’ s not your fault.
Yours Truly …