Prompt: What part of yourself have you been introducing to the world… that isn’t actually the real you?
August 1, 2026 – 9:06 p.m.
It’s a cool night breeze underneath the canopy.
It’d be a good time to smoke a Zig-Zag.
I don’t smoke…
but after a hot couple of days…
this cool breeze feels like…
ahh…
breathing.
Every day I sell plastic and paper bags throughout Los Angeles.
All walks of life.
Different cultures.
Different mindsets.
Different temperaments.
I’ve learned not to always lose my shit…
by performing an act.
A simple act.
I don’t personalize people’s actions toward me.
Whether they’re good…
and especially when they’re bad.
I used to.
Now…
I smile.
I listen.
If they’re talking harshly…
I don’t let it pull me into a bad mood.
They get me hearing the problem…
not the feelings attached to it.
At home…
there goes another version of me.
I love my parents.
I love my sister.
They love me.
But we all interpret people differently.
With my father…
I mostly keep things business.
We both sell plastic and paper bags.
Private life…
not included.
Why?
Because I don’t feel comfortable.
Simple as that.
With my sister…
we’re not very close.
That doesn’t mean I don’t love her.
We’ve just gotten used to keeping our personal lives…
personal.
We’re cordial.
A little small talk.
Enough hellos to keep a good vibe.
My mom…
she gets more of the real me.
I tell her about my dreams.
My goals.
Some of the things I’m dealing with.
I joke around more with her.
She’s Mom.
But…
there’s still a “but.”
I don’t tell her everything.
She already has enough to carry.
She doesn’t need the full weight of my stress.
Then…
the studio door closes.
My little garage.
That’s where another version of me lives.
Sometimes I cry.
Sometimes I fall asleep in my chair in front of the TV…
trying to draw…
or write…
after working all day.
☕ Enjoy your cup of coffee.
Reader Question
Who in your life gets to see the most honest version of you… and why do you think that is?
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☕ Enjoy your cup of coffee.
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