THE SECOND BEFORE SOMEONE ENTERS THE ROOM: WHAT WE HIDE, WHAT WE KEEP
There is a peculiar moment that often goes unnoticed, yet it carries more weight than many words. It is the brief pause, the held breath, the invisible shift that happens in the second before someone steps into a room. This moment is not just about space; it’s about emotion. We quietly prepare ourselves, whether we realize it or not, to meet the gaze of another person. In that split second, we decide what to show, what to hide, and what stays locked away. This fleeting moment, which barely registers in our minds, is full of complexity. It is where our private selves meet the public stage. In that heartbeat before we enter, we smooth out wrinkles, adjust our posture, and compose our expressions. More importantly, we rearrange our emotions, changing what we carry inside to fit the moment we expect. Anxiety may be hidden beneath a calm mask, while fatigue is covered by a practiced smile. The vulnerability lingering just beneath the surface is, for that brief moment, kept away from the...