IT was high school when I wore pink dresses almost every single day. Did I love pink? No. No offense to those who love it. I had no choice then. My school uniform, from kindergarten to fourth-year high school, was a solid pink—a hue I wore for 11 years. Could it be why I find it difficult to even look at it now?
Now you know why I love neutral colors. My eyes got stung with pink. Or maybe I love being an Addams.
Anyway, this is not about the color pink. It is about that night in high school when my cousin was relentlessly looking for her white socks. She was close to having tantrums (I think she did). She was complaining and digging in her closet to find those white socks she loved (I’m assuming because of all the commotion).
Her older sister knocked on every room in our ancestral home and asked for those white socks. The rest of us observed and waited eagerly for the next scene.
Just as the sister was about to finish knocking on all eight rooms in the house, there was a big shout. It came from the second floor. Eureka! My cousin found her white socks. It was just inside her closet all along.
This scenario is what Mouth versus Eyes means. We won’t be able to find anything if we rely on our mouths to search instead of our eyes. We are so used to this that it’s almost like a default reaction. When something is lost, we blame everyone else except ourselves, right?
It’s called confirmation bias. We subconsciously assume it’s someone else’s fault rather than our memory lapse or search efforts.
It’s also a human emotional reaction. When we can’t find something, frustration, and anxiety kicks in. Blaming others somehow provides a temporary emotional release.
Age is also a contributing factor. We tend to be more impulsive in our emotions and reactions in younger years. As we grow older, we mellow and become more rational and logical in dealing with everyday things.
When things don’t go our way, there’s always an option. My cousin could have chosen another sock with a different style or color. Although, don’t tell that to a fashionista. Or one could opt not to wear one. Wait, on second thought, it is not a good idea for hygiene reasons.
When I think of that night, it always brings back happy childhood memories. Our cousins were our first playmates and friends. We did things together and played pranks on each other and sometimes even on our Titos and Titas.
Living under one roof is one big chaos and sometimes horrifying. Imagine different personalities and different characters all in one space. Added to that, one individual has multiple voices in her head, as I told you last week.
Our diversity is what makes all the fun. Our common ground is our wackiness. We are one complex family, and we love it.
