All I Could Ever Hope to Be - Me

"Selfie!" I scream and my friends all rush to my side as I hold my tilted iPhone out in front of me and strike a pose.

Click.

Edit lighting.

Figure out the appropriate angle.

Choose between an endless array of filters. Which one looks the best?

Caption.

Post.

Now everyone can see the "real" me.

Let's go back a time frame or two,

before our generation was a social media zoo,

and we didn't look to post everything we did under the sun,

because instead of talking about how much fun we were having, we actually had fun.

So who am I without the filters? Who am I without the angled face and 38th selfie that finally looks right? Who am I without the "Hold on let's move this isn't high quality selfie lighting" and "Let's try again I don't like how I look in that one"? Who am I without the perfectly chosen Instagram filter?

I am the crooked smile and blemished cheeks and the angle that isn't the most flattering. I am the wrinkles around the corners of my eyes and mouth that aren't what society deems as attractive but signify happiness and joy and elation. I am bigger than filters.

Let's start fresh,

it's not too late.

This is a very important date.

Because today is the day we take our lives back,

and throw social media filters into a sack,

I am more than an Instagram filter.

I am me, and that's all I could ever hope to be.