Be as you are

Leaving work today I felt extremely down in the dumps. Largely it was related to my current project which just seems to be getting worse and worse (for reasons entirely out of my control, so I shan't be too self critical about it, and it's nearing completion - thank Deity) but it felt like a dull grey pall was being cast over every facet of my life.

I'd already arranged previously to go to a concert this evening at the Barbican (conveniently located in the middle of nowhere, which given that it's the center of London is quite a feat), but I was giving serious consideration to pulling out so I could just get away and go home and curl up and mope. I didn't, largely because it would have been terribly unfair of me not to turn up, but also because I thought a change of scenery might cheer me up. And it did.

Not, in the end, because of the music (which I much enjoyed - one of the pieces was specially arranged for a harp, an instrument I've long been fond of), but because of a t-shirt worn by the gentleman sitting in front of me. I didn't see the front, but on the back was a small picture of three faces, drawn in the manner of a child, rough circles with points for eyes and a slight curve of a line for a mouth. And underneath that was written these words: "Be as you are."

It may be a trite little aphorism, but it cheered me up immensely. I've never been very good at being other than I am, and I often forget that being me is one of my chief virtues (I'm sure the same applies to everyone). Now I just need to hold onto that thought long enough to get a job application written.