"Saving Face"

This term, "face", was once laughable to me. Perhaps it's growing up surrounded by western culture. Or maybe I needed to reach a certain level of maturity to grasp its significance. I used to make jokes about chinese people and their whole deal with not wanting to 'lose face'. To me, they were just putting up a front because they cared way too much about what other people thought. "This is bullshit, this is impression management to the max," I'd rant and rave, "What's the point of putting on this, this façade for your own friends and family? If you can't let those closest to you in, then what's the point, really?" I used to think it was sad, always holding back, just a bit from those who love you the most. "Why can't everybody just keep it real?" was my big question.

"Face" can be interchangeable with words like dignity, pride and self-respect, I suppose. There are very few things I believe that can never, in any circumstance be stripped away from someone. Frankl said man's fundamental freedom was choice. You may not necessarily have options as to what situation you find yourself in. The choice lies in the attitude you have towards life, towards that situation you may be stuck in. Ooops, went off on another tangent again. No wait, I'm sure this ties into "saving face". Damn, I really got to lay off the pot man.

I'll have this train of thought that I'll try and follow and keep up with but I think eventually the individual cars of thought start disconnecting from the train and they get lost and forgotten in the cloudy haze that I call my consciousness.