“Mirror, mirror on the wall,”

   Those famous and memorable words come from the children's classic story “Beauty and the Beast.” No wait, that's not right. They come from the Grimm Brothers fairy tale of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” where an ugly old queen looks into a mirror, asking who is the fairest in the land, while the 'fairest in the land' actually lives in the safety and friendship deep in the woods.
   We have become a society obsessed with appearance. If we are not trying to catch a glimpse of ourselves in a mirror, we look for a reflection in the nearest window. Perhaps it would be more accurate to describe the obsession as ...how we would like to see ourselves!

   The history of the mirror dates back many centuries, when highly polished metal would reflect light and images. Greco-Roman solders would use shiny pieces of metal to insure  their uniforms were on straight and their helmets were atop their heads pointed in the 'right' direction.

   Today's version of the mirror was discovered in 1835.  This new mirror consisted of coating a piece of glass with metallic silver. Reflecting on its long history, mirrors have been used as household objects as well as decoration.

   But, what young girl has not held a mirror in her hand and gazed at her reflection, debating whether to change hair style. What young teenage boy has not stood in front of a full length mirror, dressed in a tuxedo, holding in his stomach and pretending to be James Bond (not that I ever did that).

   Over time, I have discovered the mirror can become either a friend or an enemy. Waking up after only a few hours of sleep and looking into the bathroom mirror can be a horrific experience. Oh my!. When did I get that tattoo? 

  There are several rumors about mirrors. It is believed  that if one breaks a mirror, it will bring seven years of bad luck. Why seven? Why not six or eight? By the way, I have one more year to go to reach seven.
   If you are looking into a mirror and see the shadow of another face staring back at you, watch out! It could be a bad day.

   To the contrary, a peek in the mirror after a new haircut or some  pampering can  instill confidence and reassurance. Boy! I look great!! I will get that new job. Or maybe, just maybe, this time she'll say "yes" and go to the prom with me.

   Sometimes mirrors can play tricks. They can make us look taller or shorter, fatter or thinner. Remember the mirrors in the 'fun house' at the carnival. 

   People will use mirrors to make things look larger (stop laughing), like a mirrored wall to  give the illusion of a room being larger than it is. My, I have gained some weight over the winter. It must be the mirror.

   There is always the 'rear view mirror'. No one is going to sneak up on me! Unfortunately some of us go through life only looking in the rear view mirror. If I had only.........

   I know people who talk to themselves in the mirror. The great thing about a mirror-talk is that it doesn't talk back, but a mirror also doesn't  lie. What you see is what you get,' right back at you.'

   Not that I am guilty of this, but few can walk past a mirror without sneaking a peek. Oops, there's broccoli in my teeth from lunch. So that's why the interview didn't go well.

   “Who is the fairest of them all?” Like the ugly queen or even the beast in “Beauty and the Beast”, perhaps the true reflection of who we are does not come from a mirror, but  may actually come from those around us, those who see us as we truly are, not as a reflection.. While stunning in a mirror, in real life, we may be pretty ugly.

   So the next time you take a look in the mirror, remember that who you see may not be who you think you see.