Crafting an Illusion: A Game of Pretend
Heather has a Bachelor's Degree in English from Moravian College and has been freelance writing for more than 12 years.
Creating a metaphorical avatar to play the game of life
Sounded ridiculous, but it was strangely true to believe
Putting on the right outfit and styling your hair just right
To make a good impression on a first date or first day of work
At a new job that you started after the last one went nowhere
Everyone worked doubly hard to make a stellar first mark
Wanted to be known for the right things; instead of for the wrong ones
Hard to believe that adults still play random flights of pretend
Sad fact of the matter was it was rather and blisteringly true
Grown-ups like to act the part of someone better
Appear more interesting than they actually are
To generate buzz or more likes on their internet accounts
Seemed silly to put on so many airs to just gain approval
Something only children do to please their parents
Gain new friends after they move to a new town
Starting at a new school as a lamb headed for slaughter
Okay, not quite so terrifying, but it feels like it to a kid
Not knowing a single soul in the whole building is very scary
Finding common ground with anyone who didn't look frightening
As if they could break them in half with a single crack or blow
That fear never goes away when you become an adult
Searching to find friends to rely on at work and socially
An endless journey that disturbingly never gets old
Lucky, when you do find your core group of people to hang out with
Keep them close because these are the people who truly get you
No need to put on airs to impress them because that stuff doesn't matter
They somehow still would hang out with you no matter what
Relationships, on the other hand, a more much daunting task
Finding someone you're attracted to and can be honest with
Not many prefer blunt honesty, so you sometimes have to hide
Certain truths from your partners to keep a level of calm domesticity
If you're able to be truthful with your loved ones, congratulations
That's a rare feat that a lot of people can't seem to maintain
A lot of people can't handle that level of honesty on a daily basis
Most men shirk away from their girlfriends letting it all hang out
Even though it proved that their women trusted them implicitly
More than half the time; their male counterparts couldn't return
That same sentiment, which led to a lot of broken hearts
Careful balancing act between fact and tailored fiction
Best way to keep things the status quo in a relationship
Wasn't perfect by any means, just kept things going as they were
Nothing more, nothing less; that was all anyone wanted out of life
Enough to stay afloat until something stronger came along.