At Face Value

Published in the website of Systems Technology Institute. In case you were wondering, this school was one of the temporary points in my college-hopping days. This was written sometime in 2003.

How can you face the problem if the problem is your face?

I bet you laughed real hard when you first heard these words. But if you spent a few seconds pondering on this, you would realize that behind the joke is a serious message. After all, they say jokes are fifty percent truth.

So how, indeed, do you face the problem if it happens to be that cursed six-square-inches area above your neck? Look at the mirror, some would reply outright with a big grin. But how can you face the mirror if you get exasperated (or scared) every time you do it? You’re falling in a bottomless pit.

A not-so-nice appearance can in fact cause trouble. What if every time you look at the mirror, you just can’t help but think you’re getting uglier by the day? Your nose seems flatter, your lips thicker, and your eyes more bulging. Or your pimples disappeared simply because there’s no more space for them to grow. I’m sure you’ll spend the rest of the day digitally altering your pictures and cursing your forefathers for bequeathing you such genes. Or worst of all, you’ll sell your soul to a warlock in exchange for a love potion or rob a bank to pay Vicky Belo.

Hey, dudes, take it easy. So what if you’re not the crush ng bayan? So what if they stared at you from head to toe when you volunteered to be a candidate for Mr. STI? So what if you don’t look like me, er, Tom Cruise?

Don’t you know that you are an Adonis incarnate? That is, if you consider yourself so. You are as good-looking as you think. Others won’t perceive you as handsome unless you feel handsome.

I’m not advising you of course to fool yourself. Some people just happened to be blessed with head-turning looks. So, all right, they deserve to get Ms. STI (while you have no choice but have Ms. Halloween).

What I want to say is that we should accept the reality. When it comes to physical beauty, men are not created equal. But God is not unfair, okay? Each of us has his own crosses to carry. Life would be pretty boring without the pains and worries. Life is like Counter Strike—if you’re thinking right now that you are ugly, terrorists win!

So go on. Look at the mirror and tell yourself, I am the most handsome monster—oops, human being—in the world!