Being Myself: Sticking with the Troubles I Already Have

Daily writing prompt

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

View all responses

There is no way to know other people’s troubles, especially because people tend to say they are fine when they are assailed with troubles. I just want to be me, as I know my troubles, and compared to what could be, I am doing well. But to want to be someone else for even a day opens up the possibility of experiencing some doozy of a problem.

The wealthy must have fortresses to feel safe; even then, bodyguards are needed. Constantly wondering about who you can trust and who your real friends are and not people who befriend you to get ahead must be exhausting. I don’t want to endure that for even one day.

Celebrities miss out on opportunities to just wander down unknown lanes in the middle of the day for fear of fellow human beings wanting to kidnap them for ransom. I read where Will Smith said he missed being able to go to a restaurant without having to buy out every seat because everyone wants an autograph and won’t leave him in peace. That is too high a cost for even one day for someone like me who loves to try new eating places on a whim.

So, I will remain myself and not attempt to be anyone else. I don’t think that I would find being anyone else comes with any less trouble than I already have. The difference would be that their troubles would be new to me and could be greater or more perilous than the ones I face today. I learned not to envy other people’s lives, for you never know what others are enduring, even with smiles on their faces. When I read about the unhappiness of people I thought had a better life than mine, I was reminded that no life is problem-free and no one has a perfect life. Be yourself and love it.