Brooks Atkinson said, the most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one.

March 31st, 2014, 6pm

I used to think I can get away with anything.

You know how you can dance more freely when no one is watching? I like to pretend that no one is watching most of the time so I get to do what I want to do. That way I don’t worry much. Until I realized it shouldn’t be like that all the time.

When I graduated from college, for about three months, I spent all my Friday nights with my friends drinking booze and talking about what we’re going to do for the coming next months. I couldn’t smell myself and I thought I was perfectly fine. I drank a lot but not drunk and I still believe so. I go home every night and acted like everything is normal. Said goodnight to my parents like a good little girl. Pretend I did nothing.

That was four years ago.

Two years ago, I was having a conversation with my sister, I can’t remember exactly what we were talking about. I think she told me how you can detect someone had too much to drink when they basically smell like a pub and I told her that it’s not true. Then she told me this, which shattered my illusions, “before, I know it whenever you went out to a party, because I can smell you”. I seriously thought no one knew about it. Then I realized, everyone knows, it’s just that nobody talks about it.

I think you should always dance like no one is watching, all the time. However, do not completely ignore that there are people around you. Pay attention. Don’t worry, but pay attention. Always remember that people have different ways of looking at something. Acknowledge it. The idea is, to not limit yourself, with their thoughts or your thoughts alone.

Here are some things to remember: 1. Be open. 2. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. 3. Always ask.

In your world, as you dance like no one is watching, the only view that matters, is yours. But you’re not alone.

P.S. The picture above shows a view of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. This is one of my favorite buildings in the world. It’s so tall you can see it in a lot of places in Dubai. I like taking pictures of it from different views, like this one taken at night from a hotel rooftop and this one from Safa park.

Also, I’m seriously not liking my Nexus 5’s camera more and more each day.

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Kenna Marcelo

Founder of Mensis Liber. I sometimes make things for the web. Born in an archipelago of 7,107 islands currently living in the desert working as a telecommunications engineer.

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