Ode to the Persona

By - J.R. Harrington

The persona is a living breathing thing—the way we present ourselves to the world as ever changing, impossible to describe, complex creatures. It is the mask we wear throughout our endeavors, something more palatable than who we are alone.

It is also a character we play on life’s grand stage. Some of us have only one, some of us have many, and some try not to have one at all—though I believe it’s impossible to avoid. A persona leaves its mark on a person, until the person cannot be separated from it.

Looking in the mirror, you see only one face. Beneath that lies the persona—the makeup you put on every day, the clothing you hide yourself in. One can never be free of it. A persona may take on a life of its own, becoming something larger than the person who wears it.

Pieces of my personas are scattered across my memories—a feather on the floor of the mental hospital, a bleeding heart in a box, a scrap of fur caught on the raspberry bush outside my childhood home. They change over time, growing with you. Leaving little presents—a pop tab, for the wild-child of your youth, a computer chip for the piece that keeps you moving like a well-oiled machine, a box of crayons for the inner child.

You may find it in the shimmering images of your own memory, in moments that you were inconsistent, different from your usual self. Or perhaps you will find it hung in your closet, waiting for you to put it on each day. It is impossible to describe oneself cleanly without employing some persona or other, a role like an occupation, aspiration, or familial connection.

It is only a fragment of your soul, a piece of yourself displayed for others to see. The more private self is left at home, waiting in bed for you to return. This private self has buried pieces of itself in the personas, to make them more genuine, more human. You may show this private self to others, but it will always be impossible for them to fully grasp it the way you do—as it is impossible for you to fully understand another’s most private self.

A persona is only a good persona if it holds part of the private self. The more expansive the private self is, the more personas one wears. Personas operate as a social lubricant—there is the professional self, the familial self, the platonic self, and more. If you listen closely, your personas may decide to tell you stories of themselves. They are not only clothing, after all. These are the stories my personas have told me. I hope you find them interesting.

The Personas will not be named until after each of their stories have been written and uploaded. That post will include playlists and Pinterest Boards for each of them. After that, their stories will intermingle into a larger plot. There will also hopefully be Q&As later on, where you (the readers) will be able to ask them any questions you like.

I can be found on Instagram @j.r.harrington_author. Messages are welcome.