facades& fortresses

did you know that the first definition when you look up the word "facade" is an architectural one? it says, "the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one."

the second, more figurative one, reads, "a superficial appearance or illusion of something." it's something we're all too familiar with. as humans, we can't bear for the world to see how despicable and broken we are. so what do we do? pretend. create facades so we can appear "normal", so we can gain approval and maintain this unestablished "dignity".

oh, the imagery. imagine,

every fake action, each polite lie is just a piece, a brick, that makes up this large and eerily gaudy, and seemingly impeccable wall. the facade is the front, the part that others see first. it's the intimidating entrance to a fortress that surrounds the real you, who cowers inside. each facade is carefully created, skillfully assembled to display what you want others to see, while at the same time, hiding what you don't want others to know. 

but how long will it last? storms, wars, and fires are but a few external forces that have the ability to destroy these giant structures. and if one is lucky enough to never experience such calamities, it's still only a matter of time before erosion slowly wears down even the toughest walls. 

so why do we bother? why do we waste our time building these walls, creating these masterpieces? they never last long. in the end, reality reigns.

because all walls crumble with some pressure.