The Face in the Mirror
I must say I belong to those men - if there are any - who often look at their faces in the mirror for a long time every day. I have heard it is usually high-maintenance women who do so either out of vanity or because they need to check whether what their faces mirror is in perfect order. Such people are perfectionists I thought. Anyway I was always fascinated by the view of women on a tram, train, bus, coffee shop or restaurant who take out their pocket mirrors to put some final touches. I liked the click sound of opening the mirror, closing it and then putting it back in the handbag.

One day however, when I went to the bathroom to look at my face in the mirror I saw a completely different face facing me. I rubbed my eyes thinking there was something blurring my view but the strange face didn’t go. I hurried to another room and hoped there might be something wrong with the mirror in the bathroom but the new mirror showed the same strange face. In my horror I started touching my body to be sure I was not dreaming. But the body said it was real and the face said: It’s me.

I went back to the bathroom and in my anger I hit the mirror with my fist. The mirror cracked like wrinkles. When I was out only one lady noticed and remarked: Oh you look completely different. I didn’t know how to answer so I said: I was on holiday far away. A few others looked at me in a way saying: oh there is something different in you but maybe they didn’t find it polite to say it.

Jamshid
Bremen, 1 August 2009