Hello Good People of the World

 

I have just had a thought. Actually a few. hehehe. First thoughts first, as I sat here at my desk today minding my own and everyones elses business a younger man walked in looking for directions. Keep in mind I work with a government funded agency for local development and people "pop in" all the time.

 

Back to the point, this cacusaian gentleman of about 22 - 26, years old was wearing a large brightly colored wool cap, and complimentary earth tone loose clothing. In his hat the guy housed a large collection of dred locks leaving me to assume this fellow had some rastafarian roots in his soul. Either way, what most caught my attention was his smile, the genuineness of it, and how comfortable he seemed to feel in his own skin, cloths and most notably his Rasta Hat. Keep in mind this whole summary is based on a 20 second visit and only once did our eyes meet where I pointed to my own head, and said "love the hat". To which he smiled at me, nodded and refocused on his piece of information and left after saying thanks.

 

Seemingly this interaction would mean nothing, however a very important thing happened, in his smile and nod, and by the way he wore his "hippish" "outfit" I saw a confidence that I see missing in so many of the people I work with/hang around on a regualar basis. It was this comfortablness with himself, that generated such warmth from his smile and projected immeadate calm and happiness on to me in a single nod. 

 

At this point, I suspect some readers are thinking of the homosexual overtones of my comments, to which I ask you to grow up for a second, and consider that appreciation of a fellow man, does not translate directly into sexual desire, so yeah, just bare with me.

 

My point, the whole reason I wrote this is because I felt good and confindence come from this man, a good which was so clear in his clothes, in his smile in the forming of his question and his exit. It is through this event that I must reflect on what my own state of mind has become. My mentality hardly seems to be as crisp and at peace as this stranger, who strangely enough is not strange to me.

 

In the end, his energy was a reminder to me that my own energy and knowledge of self has so far to go. I wear business cloths, and they give me confidence, however after seeing a man in his finest hippy gear, which ultimately will bring many judging eyes, I realised in 4 seconds that what I have learned in my head for many years is wrong.

 

In all the world I do not believe I have heard a more deceptive bit of advice.... that being "the cloths make thy man". Indeed this would seem to be the words of man always wearing a disguise and is use to judgeing his interactions on the quality of an opposing disguise. Indeed, based on my experience today it would seem quite the opposite.

 

 It is the man who makes the cloths, and in such cases where the reverse is true I think it is the beholder who makes the cloths, not the man. For a man, in his truest sense shines confidence through the most torn rags. A real man is afforded little confidence from fabrics, but rather draws his confidence from within himself.

 

That is what the happy man in the multicolored hat taught me. So now, I have taught you.