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Behind What We Are Hiding

by Mario A. Campanaro

Behind What We Are Hiding

by Mario A. Campanaro

As long as I can remember, I’ve been intensely passionate about observing and trying to discern what motivates us to make the choices we do in relation to the outcomes we consciously or unconsciously desire. Though taking in the world this way may not always make me the life of the party (lol), it definitely keeps me extremely present with the company I keep. Humanity fascinates me. What we do, how we interact, how we listen—or don’t—how we respond—or don’t—how even our own silence triggers me to understand and apply it all to Life and Art. I always want to know what’s behind the social mask because the false concept of what the social mask represents is blatantly obvious.

Yet, what I witness over and over again is that damn thing called ‘fear.’ It’s not the kind of fear you feel when a tornado is about to spin and stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. It’s that invisible, internal, omnipresent fear that whispers to us in the back of our minds. It’s a fear of reality. Imagine that—a fear of reality… of everyday life as it actually is, in this here and now, present moment. And then, that fear expands to other parts of our life, like the Exxon oil spill corroding our perception of ourselves and the world we live in. We begin to experience a fear of connection between one another and our environment. We then develop a fear of compassion and kindness because it feels foreign, creating all these ‘what-ifs’ that come with the ‘risk’ of opening our hearts to others.

So, we begin to hide our authentic selves, exacerbating a fear of vulnerability, afraid of being seen and judged beyond a filtered ‘it’s all okay’ existence. YUP, WE GET A FEAR OF WHO WE TRULY ARE BEHIND THE MASK. And so, to mask our fear, we adjust our behavior and our connections to avoid being seen or affected in a profound way—a human way.

The one thing that has remained constant in everything I have observed is that we all yearn for our experience to be witnessed and validated. This connects all of us. But we go on validating our filtered lives as if our life is our own avatar, never getting to reveal our true essence. What astounds me the most is when all the cover-up is dropped, and things get real. I see people start to breathe deeper. It’s like a heavy, burdensome weight has been lifted. I can see their eyes shine brighter. I can hear their voices vibrate stronger. And most of all, I can see them happier, experiencing newfound peace. Not because something has been lost, but because something real has been found.

Art asks us to show up in all our grit and glory. Ironically, this is exactly what happens toward the end of our life. So, if we know this is part of the inevitable journey, why not start our BEing right now, rather than waiting? What are we hiding, and why? Is it truly worth the work it takes to hide our authentic self for the sake of an idea of how we think we are supposed to appear? I don’t think so. I can promise you everything you are behind what you think you have to be is far more interesting than you have ever admitted.