"Comparison is the thief of joy."

We hear this often. More than often. But for some reason… These words are stagnant. We hear them, but we fail to truly listen. And honestly, I can't stop asking myself the question… Why?

For some, we scroll through our instagrams, the twitter feeds, a few Facebook fanatics, (any Myspacers still out there?), and we do this with one mindset:

Constant comparison.

Life looks beautiful in pictures, right? Pretty picture perfect. People post the lives they desperately desire to portray, and trust me, I'm an absolute culprit.

Yet, what if we were honest with one another? And told the not-so-perfect reality behind our flawless falsities? Maybe our lives of never feeling up to par would look a little different. So ya know what? I'm going to reveal some truth behind a few pictures that seemed unblemished and finished, but boy… In reality, these moments were “fails", “mess-ups", and just down right imperfect. But through a social media perspective… They appear stainless. So, it's time to tear down this spotless filter and reveal the raw reality... Here goes nothing.

1. The First Day of College

Oh boy… My first day at college. Hours before the parents said their goodbyes, the tears rolled, and I was left in a room with a girl I just met at a place I'd been to a total of three times- which was now apparently called my “home." I was also told it was a requirement to wear shower shoes, because a new mold-like virus called Hand and Foot was going around. Oh, good, I thought to myself. My new kitchen to eat at was called, “The Pit," which made me think of body odor and sweat. And did I mention I was told if I wanted to have a little fun I would need to get in a car with a random stranger, who would tell me to trust him because "he was a pledge driver", and take me to a strange basement filled with the smell of alcohol and throw up? All in all, in this moment, I was so scared. But here, I look ecstatic. Excited. Ready to begin this new chapter of my life. But it's time to be honest people. In reality: I was the farthest thing from ready. But, it was time, and looking back, I couldn't be more thankful for the push to begin the best memories of my life.

2. The First College Tailgate

Now this is a good one. My first college tailgate. I knew a matter of ten people total. I went to the tailgate with my roommate (pictured) and a few friends on our hall. I'd never been to a tailgate, and didn't quite know what to expect. We wandered around for a matter of thirty minutes, looking as awkward as can be, only to find ourselves at the extremely embarrassing “Freshman-Welcome" tent. Exhausted from wandering, I grabbed lemonade and cookies (yes, kindergarten snacks) from the welcome tent, only to spill my lemonade down my entire dress. Dear Lord… Could I begin my first college event any more awkwardly? But here, I look as if I'm thriving and having a great time. As-if. Our lives are posed people… When are we going to get a few candids… Even if they have some tears, awkward smiles, and occasional lemonade stains?

3. The First Night Out

Walking down the basement steps at my first encounter with a frat house, I was nervous. We can all remember our first college party, right? Hands sweating, uneasy smile, having absolutely no clue what to expect. When we finally settled in the basement, shoes covered in Lord knows what… It was time to pose and get that “look- I'm having such a great time!" picture. We all want to look fun and flirty, right? We pose, we smile, we put our best foot forward. This night looks fun and perfect… But boy, on this night… you-know-what hit the fan. If you read my previous article, I encountered something many don't face on their first night out … the cops. This night consisted of cop-whistles blown, racing up frat-slime steps, hopping fences, lots of tears, and an occasional yell for the 5'2 gal (me) to carry her friends to safety. To sum it up, you could say this night was an absolute mess. But scrolling through your feed, this picture would hit the top-ten list for “having a great time." Now, don't get me wrong. These memories were hilarious and great, but nothing perfect. If only pictures came with a play-by-play, instead of one unblemished moment, in an all in all not-so-perfect night.

I'll be honest. These few snapshots of “firsts" are great memories that I wouldn't trade for the world. But, do you ever wish our social media lives came without a picture-perfect filter? Yeah, me too.

So, what the heck is the point or “message" of this article? Let me break it down.

I'm not saying don't post adorable pictures that will get you a whole lot of thumbs up. I'm saying, stop the comparison. Look back at the pictures you've posted- and think about the moments in entirety. Not so perfect, right? So when scrolling through your feed, and feeling like your own life is a little sucky, just remember this:

Sometimes, life comes with tears over smiles, lots of lemonade stains, and an occasional run-in with the cops.

But in reality, that's what makes life imperfectly perfect.

Xoxo,

S.L.Y.