This is my post for show me a shadow round 369 hosted by @mariannewest's
"Pretending to be someone I'm not, leaning on someone else's white car."
I was unfamiliar with the silent confidence that hummed from the shining white car. I could often feel the jagged edges of myself against the cool metal I leaned against. As they went by, people looked, maybe assuming I had some sort of connection. Did I have a temporary change in appearance in their eyes? Someone with a machine so immaculate, someone who seemed to succeed effortlessly?
An uneasiness swept over me. This borrowed background had the feel of a temporary disguise, a costume. If there was any admiration, it was not for the real me—the one with the confused thoughts and silent fears. It was for an image that the pricey sheen of the car projected onto me.
As I pushed myself out of the car, the illusion vanished. The world beyond this temporary façade was the real world, my world. It was a world in which I worked hard, made mistakes, and finally defined myself by what I did rather than by the things I was standing next to. The white car persisted, serving as a reminder of who I am and a representation of something I was not.
