I was in first year college when I first created a Facebook account. That was around 7 years ago, when the site wasn't still that famous yet. I posted a picture of myself which I took when I was in some sort of an awarding event in my university. It was nothing extra-ordinary. I just took the liberty to snap a memory when I was wearing a nice dress in school.
The picture was just a simple one. I was just - of course - looking at the camera with a tight-lipped smile. It wasn't worth the attention of my friends, family, not even a stranger.
Until I was proven wrong.
One day, I opened my then-forgotten account and saw a notification that I got a new message. Wondering who it might be since I don't have any friends then yet, I opened it and learned that it came from a Chinese-American (I think?) who I don't know. His message was short, but it struck me deeply. This was what he said: You have very beautiful eyes. But they reflect so much sadness. I asked what made him say that. He didn't reply anymore.
I don't know if he's a bot, an illusion, or whatever. I just knew his words struck me deep. My eyes are the only part of my whole exterior self that I love. I always take pride because even in pictures, they look bright and dazzling (and I'm not the one who said that).
But this one stranger who came across my account on a social networking site managed to thwart that impression. He knew I was keeping something. And that's when I knew the eyes are really the windows to the soul, but only those who are willing to see through it can figure out what's really there.
Now that I stare at my picture above, I am beginning to understand what that person meant. And that left me wondering how the hell I'm going to change that.
