Enjoy looking in the mirror again!
An ad for weight loss clinic and program shouted this at me this morning from the television. Usually I am pretty good at switching my mind to neutral when the news program switches to “Now a word from…”
But not this morning. That line captured my mind. The term narcissistic jumped into my head.
To Wikipedia I went. Narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one’s idealized self-image and attributes. The term originated from Greek mythology, where a young man named Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water.
I was right in thinking that this advertisement for the weight loss clinic was appealing to the narcissistic view of “you to can be young and thin again!” It is very capitalistic too. Enjoy looking in the mirror again. We can suck those fat cells right off of you never to be seen again. Or you could change your life style but where is the immediate gratification? Where is the beautiful young person looking back from the mirror?
Michelangelo Carravio painted this in the 16th century –
A sonnet challenge:
In the Mirror
Is it too much to think of our own youth?
And remember that today as we age,
perhaps as we get much longer in tooth,
it is well past time to turn the next page.
Study the mirror and embrace the heft.
See the dimness and feel the left knee pain.
Rejoice for the years certainly still left!
Assess the condition, measure our gain.
Understand that life is complete with love.
It cannot be seen in the mirror view;
to the rear fleeting as a little dove.
To the past bid sad self thoughts adieu.
If thou canst face away ‘twould be a pity,
perhaps narcissistic serendipity
A haiku challenge:
Mirror Mirror
Mirror view so sad
Years of take away and chips
Mirror view like dad
Poetry scares me. Have a nice day and don’t forget to seize it!
Adjunct_Wizard 