The Weight of the Game

I spent this morning clearing out the back of my closet, finding old boxes filled with things I haven’t touched in years. I pulled out a plastic mask from a costume party I went to a decade ago. Holding it, I felt that strange, sudden shift—the way we put on a different face and suddenly feel like a different person entirely. It is fascinating how easily we step into roles. We trade our everyday selves for something tougher, or faster, or more mysterious, just to see what it feels like to be someone else for an afternoon. There is a specific kind of freedom in that transformation, a way to play at life without the usual risks. But I wonder, when the game ends and we take the gear off, do we ever really leave that version of ourselves behind? Or does a little bit of that borrowed strength stay tucked away, waiting for the next time we need to be brave?

Andrea Livieri has captured this feeling perfectly in his image titled Softair Soldier. It reminds me that we are all just playing our parts in the spaces we inhabit. What role do you find yourself stepping into when you need to feel a little stronger?