Once I was in a NFB (National Film Board: a government owned film production agency) movie. They threw a post production party and invited all the participants to a viewing and cheap buffet.

When I saw myself on the screen it was the biggest shock of my life. I started crying. Everything, everything. My face 20 feet tall showed everything. All the things I was working so hard to hide were there. And all I could think of was, when the lights come up, people will look at me. Because they have seen. I couldn’t follow the movie. A loop, playing. They see me, they see me, they see me. Of course they didn’t see.

My layers, through the years, have grown thicker. Have melded. Made a heavy coat that at some point I thought was comfortable enough to wear all the time. I could run, jump, dance, fuck and never break a sweat.

Everything gets done slower now. My shoulders are bent and my knees are about to give. My name tag flew off at some point. I’m not even sure that coat belongs to me.

Individuality is a bad excuse for disguise.