Beauty in flaws

I love making projects out of old, reclaimed wood.  While most people who use this wood for projects look for the best side, I often don’t.  I look for the side with the dings and dents.  Why?  Because often those scars create a unique pattern, it shows age, wear, damage, weathering.  To me, there's a beauty in the flaws.  Any board can be sanded down, filled and painted to hide all the imperfections.  While this may be fine with wood, it’s not really okay with people.  Too many people try to change who they are to show only their ‘best side’ to others.  They're afraid to show all the little dents from all the whacks they’ve taken over the years.  But that’s what makes us who we are, that’s what gives us character and depth.  Sure, you can hide some things if they are too big, too painful, too private.  But in the end, you need to just be you.  No one is perfect and no one should be.   There’s freedom in acknowledging that. There are so many people who really need be able to do just that, see that flaws are a good thing, see beauty in what most would call ugly.  But perfection is the standard, the ideal that most strive for.  Wish there was a way to change that...