It is funny how we all unconsciously stop by to admire ourselves, even for a moment, trying to catch a faint reflection of ourselves in a mirror, oblivious of our surroundings. Nevermind how fleeting it is, a quick check on those unruly locks of hair on good, bad and okay hair days, I am amazed to see how obsessed we all are with our own reflection in the mirror. I am compelled to be an amused and a mute spectator for many such admirers passing by my office daily.
Exterior of my office offers a wonderful place for all the narcissists passing by. While I am typing this, I see a bearded man busily checking his teeth in front of my office blissfully unaware of my amusement from the other side of the tinted glass. I wonder if he would still do the same if he knew that someone was watching his private grooming session. I personally cringe at the thought of being watched when I am in one of my narcissist moods.
Now comes the gender part. For all the guys reading this, don’t you think that we girls are the ones who are busy checking makeup. In fact men outnumber women. In this regard, I am your witness. Thanks to the couple of clinics next door, I see a steady stream of people walking past daily, catching glimpses of their reflections. Women self-consciously adjust their dress or hair before quickly moving on, sometimes wondering if there is anyone on the other side of glass watching. Some of then linger long enough for me to catch their disappointment about their widened waistline while adjusting sarees. While men folk are in no hurry. Some of them start combing their hair, checking their teeth, see how they look while talking on their mobile phones or simply admiring themselves. Some men prefer checking themselves from various angles as if they are alone in their dressing room. The most hilarious part is when they try to tuck the tummies a little trying to see how they look if they could only lose a few inches there. I really hope they do.
One of my friends at college used tell ‘it is never wrong or impolite to check your makeup and hair in the reflective eye wear of the person who is impolite enough to wear it while talking with you. That’s the best way to tell them to remove their shades when they talk to you face to face’. Well, I’ve never got a chance to do that yet. But for now, I am amusing myself watching others from the other side of looking glass. Oh yes, there is one difference that is stark between men and women. Women are most self conscious lot than men. They smile very little and quickly walk away after a quick glance, with a regretful expression. While men, despite appearances tend to admire the receding hairlines and beer bellies seem to be a happier bunch. I guess we girls need to take that tip and start loving what we see...
