The truth about Truthiness...

There is a sort of "meme" going around the internet right now, amongst my circle of blog friends... The challenge is to post a photograph of yourself, taken first thing in the morning. And I mean: FIRST THING. As in: no toothbrushing, no hairbrushing, no make-up and... are you ready for this... no coffee. You're allowed to get out of bed. And in terms of the "preparation" part of this exercise, that's about it, folks.

Which should make it easy, really.

Except, I'm chicken.

I confess it: even when I am sick, I make the effort not just to get out of bed, but to dress. Do my hair. And my face.

Apparently, to many people, that MAKES me a sick person.

But, sue me. All my life has been about "creating an illusion" of some sort... When I was a kid, the two things I loved best were dress-up and make-believe. Fast-forward to adulthood, and you find me creating costumes and "transformations" for the stage.

And so, I suppose now that I am a wife and mother, I "stage myself", in a way, on a daily basis. It's important to me. It makes me feel better. Protected, I suppose; my appearance is like a sort of "personal armour". I spiff myself up, and present the "best self" that I possibly can. It shows that I care about "Me". And like it or not, I am certain that looking fairly decent and put-together positively affects the way that I am received by others.

That's not to say that I don't let-it-all-hang-out every once in awhile around home. I have my favourite flannel pyjamas, and big fuzzy slippers. I have my "grubbies" for painting, and my even "grubbiers" for long, sweaty days of slogging happily in the garden. I don't generally wear much make-up when I'm working-- and what I do put on usually melts off within the first hour or so-- and my hair is mostly tucked up under an old baseball cap.

I have no problem walking around dissheveled, if the situation calls for it. Hell, take a picture if you want-- if your camera lens is strong enough to withstand the impact.

But, first-thing-in-the-morning? Before my face has even had a chance to fall into place?

Nuh-uh. There's some Truthiness that just shouldn't be shared.

As my pal Jack says:

"You Can't Handle The Truth"

And unfortunately, my Morning Truth is one of them.

So, here's the deal. I'll give you this much. THIS should give you the general idea of how I look when I first roll out of bed:

Okay, I confess. I brushed my hair.

(The eyebrows could definitely use a little lawn-mowing, though, non?)