40 Reflections #37: 40 days of raw recollections during the Lenten Season
The other day my son asked if he could design an emoji for me. I agreed and he followed me around the kitchen as if he were sketching me with his thumbs on a screen, like DaVinci with a data plan. Once he got to the hair selection, I glanced over at the App and saw a cute, sassy haircut which looked fabulous on the emoji. Feeling like I should have a voice in the process, I submitted my request for the attractive haircut and reminded him in the right lighting my eyes are a sparkly hazel. He continued with facial features such as “face lines” (only 2!), ear size (“pretty normal, mama”), body type (he went with a small frame…smart boy) and a sporty outfit.
Within the parameters of the emoji menu, my human appearance was complete, although I’m still unsure why my head is so large. I (my emoji) looked so darn cute. Why couldn’t I use this for my next driver’s license picture? A genius idea!
When I researched the word emoji, I found Vyvyan Evans, a cognitive linguist, “studying emoji entails exploring everything from the nature of communication to the evolutionary origins of language to how meaning arises in the human mind. As he writes in his compelling new book The Emoji Code, far from being a fad, emojis reflect fundamental elements of communication; and in turn, this all shines a light on what it means to be human”. In plain speak, it’s an animated Scooby-Doo character version of ourselves with expression and text bubbles.
As humans, I often wonder if we are hardwired to focus on our flaws, eventually causing ancillary anxiety in our lives. Many of us peer in the mirror and see what others don’t: wrinkles, mystery spots, unkempt eyebrows, and bags under the eyes large enough to use at Costco. Choosing our eye and hair color and switching the style of our skinny jeans with one click is not an option. God gave us our individual attributes, and like they say in the south, we “get what we get and we don’t pitch a fit”. One bonus is we can shell out five dollars for a box of hair dye and tweak God’s formula just a touch.
I finally sat down for my cup of tea tonight, and dangling from the bag was this:
So very true. With all the insecurities and worries trying to sabotage opinions of ourselves, we are bound to stay the course and love who we are both inside and out.
After my son completed my emoji, I peered into my own semi-hazel eyes and decided my reflection is something I cherish, even with all its wrinkles and gray hairs. Nevertheless, I think I’ll take the picture of my emoji into my hair stylist and see if she can replicate it, then I’m going to renew my driver’s license.
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