My Reality Check Bounced

When did perception become reality?

My parents have worked diligently for years to get me to accept the fact that my opinion is merely my opinion and not reality. I am talking at least 15 long years of straight up brainwashing!! It was a very difficult concept for me to grasp apparently.

Well, this past year, I was informed several times that perception is reality. Meaning my opinion was in fact not an opinion at all, but the truth? Ha! Why did I spend weeks in school studying these things called fallacies in English if opinions were always accurate?! No disrespect, but you are confused.

Case 1: Just because a person perceives the sky is crimson and even convinces a group of followers to believe the same, does not mean the sky is actually crimson. Not even in Sooner Nation is the sky crimson! They are in fact choosing to believe a lie.

Reality Check: Walk outside, depending on time of day the sky is most likely some shade of blue.

Case 2: Ever look at a dress on the hanger and think, that designer should be fired! Worst.$152.Creation.Ever. It is in fact so ugly that you decide to try it on for laughs when dang it… fits like Cinderella’s glass slipper and believe it or not, is REALLY cute!

Reality Check: I have to eat those four words I just spoke… I take “Worst.$152.Creation.Ever” back and replace it with “I.Want.$152.Now!”

Case 3: Ever meet the “faux millionaires”, the ones that hang out at particular Dallas hot spots– these are the guys who spend money and live a lifestyle accustom to that of a millionaire without actually owning the bank account.

Reality Check: This is how you end up with more month at the end of the money. The “unmillionaire.” Unattractive.

Finally, Case 4: The worst kind of perception of all- the kind you don’t even initially assess for yourself, but you just choose to go with… Bad Idea. 100% Epic Fail Guaranteed… Luckily, I am smart and it did not prevent me from bonding with one of my favorite girlfriends… But it could have, if I wasn’t so set in my ways. (Did you hear that, Dad? My stubbornness FINALLY paid off!)

Reality Check: Preception is dangerous, especially when the assessment was never formed by you in good conscious and especially when it is about another person. It’s like wearing black with brown… okay, maybe that’s not dangerous, but it is a fashion faux pas!

You see, at the end of the day, perception is nothing more than a beautifully decorated box cake; it’s the easy way out. Displayed on a pristine platter with color coordinating layers, it looks sinfully delicious, but once you give in, you realize it was just calorie filled temptation and not anything like the made from scratch, homemade goodness you desired it to be. Not to mention, you now have to run 3 more miles and owe Tony Horton another 90 minutes of your time just to compensate for one bite—okay, slice!