#186

"i saw the link to your online blog yesterday. i read some of it."
she was chewing gum, but more as an afterthought. not the way cheerleaders and football coaches do. "oh yeah? you like it?"
"the pictures are pretty and the whole atmosphere of the blog is tastefully artsy, maybe a little arrogant. enough to be intriguing. it's just not what i expected, i guess."
her face fell a bit and i saw her chewing over whether to ask any follow-up questions, unsure of where i was going with my critique. she inhaled, ready with defenses.
"it's just... you say it's about your life, and i know i can't tell you what your life is, or who you are. but you're not such a carefully crafted person in reality. you make mistakes and the lighting isn't always perfect, and you only see art films maybe twice a year. in real life you get angry about silly things and you step on bugs and you get dark circles under your eyes, which are decidedly un-artsy."
with a slow exhale, the defenses paused long enough to listen.
"i guess i just hope you don't think the life you portray is better than the life you live."