Reinvention . Are they day dreams in disguise?
Its all fake. There is no way to check the narrative. Of course there are small tell tale signs. Often immigrants from one country to another resort to this. What they present will not draw attention so the lily must be gilded. For them it is a matter of survival. The more daring claim Royal lineage. A comic, once stated ,everyone from the state of Hyderabad in India is a ‘Nawab’. A Nawab is a princely head of a royal family.
“What about palaces, gardens and acres of land?” I asked.
“More like a patch of Cilantro in the garden” he laughed uproariously.
I laughed but then thought of the white Russian clutch of Dukes and Grand Duchesses who fled the Bolshevik Revolution and some served as Maitre D’s in elegant French restaurants in Post war Paris. There are taxi drivers in my town who are licensed doctors from developing nations but cannot practice in Canada. Handy, if you have a heart attack in a cab. Then a desperado who claims to be the descendent of a line of kings and coyly adds that he does not like to talk about himself. It could all be hocus pocus but the desire to do this is intriguing.
People are pigeonholed by education, physicality, financial status and culture, Beauty is an exception. A confrontation with beauty brings the observer to his knees. The response is universal.
A pal Psychiatrist says he prepares a ‘face sheet’ on each patient initially.
“What if everything is a lie?” I asked.
“Hardly relevant.” he replied evasively.
I am an author who write novels. I take a kernel of reality and sometimes create an imagined country, life history and character traits. I am extending the canvas and do not rein in my imagination. This is my craft and others far more distinguished have captured hearts and minds with staggering literary works all based on invention or re-invention as the case may be. Perhaps it is a question of wanting to see the silver lining everywhere. As an incurable optimist, if I cannot see your silver lining I shall invent it for you. So your drab inconsequential persona will be made luminous, heroic and unforgettable.
“Oh, I love this character in your book,” moans a breathless BookClub fan
There is no way I can tell her I have reinvented the concierge of the hotel I stayed at.
Flash forward to the websites flooding the online reading texts. Glorious visuals, embellished professional details and mission statements. Hello, the whole world is flooded by geniuses and rock stars. Then those Instagram Selfies which take the breath away. The message here is “ I am the curator of this museum” The only artifact in this museum is the self. Me, myself and I. Watch and never stop looking. Now millions are simply watching. It is called online entertainment and its free.
So what is a bold faced lie? Is it something to chuckle at or rip to shreds in a public forum? It appears there are some who are unhappy with their recognizable personal history so they junk it and create a different one. I imagine it would be like being a Pirate. Everyone’s favourite costume for a party before the Goths,Monsters and sci-fi weirdos took over. What is not to like about baggy pants. a vest, an eye patch, silken scarf and a cutlass swinging from the waist. One must not forget the gold hoop swinging from one ear lobe and the green parrot perched on the shoulder. I would like to go as a Pirate to my grocery store one day. Will I get smiles or an escort from Store Security?
Sometimes it is fear of harm, reprisals, political or otherwise which give birth to an invented history. Is this wrong, deceitful or just expediency? Some world leaders have known to have doubles. The motivation is foggy. Then there are dreamers who reimagine themselves. People who insist they are born in the wrong century so the element of deja vu seeps in. There is an unchecked Lottery ticket in my wallet. If I win I shall become someone else. A fair amount of day dreaming has been done. The projects which I shall fund post the indulgence of personal comfort. The person I will become will be brand new. Will this be lying or shedding the old skin for a new existence. These daydreams have made many into astounding individuals. A change in professional or personal status often winds up as a reinvention.
If the Lottery comes in I am going to create a chain of Libraries in African villages. All the unsold books of Canadian Publishers will be purchased to stock the libraries.. The construction material will be bamboo and leaf woven walls. There will be one flowering bush which can grow indoors in every Library. There will be an Inspector of Libraries. The Inspector will use local transportation for these tours. Giraffes are an animal which gets bored easily and can devour acres of tree foliage,. A bit like devouring can of Pringles Sour Cream and Onion chips. Its time to give the Giraffes a decent job. Margaret Atwood would have to be the Library Inspector. No hanky-panky ever when it comes to books. Not going to check the Lottery ticket for a while. Day dreaming is as good as meditation for reducing stress. Now I have converted myself into Deepak Chopra.