The Observation Post – Pretend

When is it okay to pretend?  Is it ever okay to pretend?  It’s not always healthy to pretend but we tend to do this more often than we think.  We do this not to fulfill our passion or personal obligations but usually to make someone else happy.  What was the tearing sound I just heard?  Oh… That was you cutting yourself short in life.

More often than we would like to admit we sacrifice so much in order to fulfill our roles as parents, children, employees, and so on.  This becomes almost mundane and we become complacent in doing so.  This cycle of Pretend is on a regular basis and we start to forget how much we put up a facade in our day to day.  

I believe that it does not have to be this way.  To pretend is to deceive and to lie.  We can dance around this but in the end it all comes down to that.  Pretending is not facing the truth head on.  So when a father pretends to want to spent time with his kids – ouch.  Or when a daughter pretends to be busy to avoid taking mother or grandma shopping – dang.   These actions are not shameful nor counterproductive to life.  It’s the total opposite when you think of it.  That’s what our time is for.  To give it; to lend it to make not only ourselves happy but to impact others.  

You see, if we really knew what our roles were and what our responsibilities before God were then we would never fail at our roles.  Perfection is not a factor here because we all fail at some point but to fail means you tried; you acted.  What about those that don’t act at all because they feel they are wasting their time?  What about those that don’t feel the joy of their role in life anymore?  Those of us that pretend to be happy but struggle internally with reality?

This post doesn’t pretend to have answers.  I do feel however that it does plenty by shedding the spot light on it for you.  It brings it to mind enough to where you have to ask yourself what your circumstances are.  Are you pretending a lot or do you feel that it comes naturally?  Are there days that you want to run away and what do you do to resolve that impatience?  

Pretending is a skill that writers such as us, develop and put into practice when we are sharing our stories.  In that circumstance it is socially acceptable to pretend.  The sad fact is that a lot of us pretend so that we can escape our lives and our obligations.  This is socially acceptable as well but personally, I don’t want to.. No, more like I can’t let go of the wheel like this.  This is why I pray that God returns the joy of my roles or privileges in life.  Whether I am a son, father, uncle, servant, or laborer I want to strive to take pleasure in what I GET to be and not what I HAVE to be.

Source: Pretend