The Faceless

Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an’ blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an’ cheated by pursuit
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

-- Bob Dylan, "Chimes of Freedom"

They are as faceless as they are nameless. As people get older I think it gets worse, this thing called recognition. Soon the faces run together like too much of the wrong paint on canvas. We are the muted colors of the background used by God to make everything else look good.  This is the circumstance we brought on ourselves, after all.  We could have been one color but we had to go and make Dad angry.  When you think about it, though, it worked out pretty good; at least we have variety.  The problem with a variety of muted colors is that, pretty soon, one person starts to look like another.  The colors start to run together and there are over 7,324,782,225 of them to test our shoddy memory. "Hey, you!" is followed by "Yo! Bud!" and "Excuse me, ma'am?" or, "Oh, miss!" Don't you just hate when your wait staff wears large lettered name tags and you still can't recall their name when you need an umpteenth refill on your coffee?  And, go ahead; try to confuse me by being transgender.  Dressing like the other gender won't help to give you a face if everyone is doing it. It doesn't make you special. You are what you are.  I still one of the faceless masses who I can barely acknowledge and quickly dismiss from my mind just as easily as I can anyone else.  "They all look alike to me," is no longer a politically incorrect punchline, people are really in danger of becoming "cookie-cutter" humans.  How sad are we?

Most people are happy being average. Most are happy being faceless in a sea of faces.

-- Robert Kiyosaki, financial educator, motivational speaker

Age has nothing to do with my shoddy memory; I've never been good at remembering anything unless its important, and people generally are out to impress me with their importance, not that they have to, and they generally don't, and I wouldn't give a fig anyway since I really don't care how important someone thinks they are, unless they can put a hurt on me.

Movie stars? Met them. Generals, Admirals, Politicians, sports figures, met them too. I'm not enamored by them as much as they are by themselves. Yeah, I might recognize the currently famous, or simply act like I don't. But, even if I do, it only buys them a stool next to me at the local pub if it's unoccupied by one of the other 7,324,782,224 that I might find more interesting and less narcissistic, like the homeless guy on the curb out front.

I have kind of selective memory, I guess.  My mind is chock full of those important "crib notes" necessary for being me.  I'm like a generic brand of paper towel; I'll soak stuff up if I'm around it long enough, or if I'm really pressed.  If I absolutely have to remember, I'll pull open all the file drawers until I find the right one, and then I'm really screwed.  Dewey Decimal?  Not so much.

Most people don't walk around knowing what other people think about them, and I don't think it's healthy to know what faceless strangers who you'll never meet say about you.

-- Christina Ricci, actress

More of us are like this than I imagined and, in my humble opinion, I think we're usually more interesting.  Maybe it's because we just don't give a damn and we're not afraid to let people know.  And, having said all of this, you're still worried about being fat and unattractive?  You're still worried about feelings of inadequacy, of not standing out in the crowd?  Be real.  Whenever you feel less adequate than someone else, just try to remember that even the beautiful people are simply more of the same faceless mass of billions that inhabit this blueberry we call home.  They are nothing more than a momentary diversion from the daily grind which most people have to endure just to survive.   Fame is usually fleeting; a flash in the pan and we're on to the next hot item.  People may look at you but, fear not, they don't see you.  They just need someone to talk about behind their back for a few minutes; another anecdote for gossip.

I would love to make my music and be completely anonymous, but that doesn't work. You can't have success and be faceless.

-- Sarah McLachlan, musician

If you want someone to see you, to really see you for who you are and not as just another faceless minion of some governmental overlord, go up to them and introduce yourself.  Hey, now!  Here's a concept!  Entertainers, who think they're all that, should go up to a total stranger at the local Starbuck's and ask if they can join them.  We should all try it.  Introduce yourself and shake their hand.  Indulge yourself in small talk, the events of the day, or the weather.  You know, practice being really human.  Go to the park and sit on a bench.  Pay attention to all of the previously faceless passersby who could care less how important you are.  Think about who they are and where they're going.  It's true that you still don't know them, but you aren't just looking at them anymore, you're trying to see them, see them as something more than just more of the madding crowd cluttering everyday life, of which you are one.  Try seeing them as something else, something special... someone with a face and, hopefully, a name to remember.

Around the time Gene Hackman had just finished making "The French Connection" he was picking up a camera my dad was repairing for him.  We were late from lunch and he was just sitting out in front of the shop, in a well-worn Toyota or Datsun, reading the newspaper; just one of the guys.  I remember he was a nice guy.  He was personable; not all egotistical about being the next hot star.  We apologized for making him wait and he shrugged it off with a smile.  If you want to be a memory, be a good memory, not an egotistical ass.  Oh, and if you're the spouse of someone famous, remember you're not them, you're the spouse.  Big deal.  You won't even be known until you're caught in bed with several people and, even then, you be remembered as so-and-so's spouse who got caught playing "team sports."

But, God did create us to be social creatures; to be fruitful and multiply.  We were meant to be with each other.  Okay, not necessarily to play "team sports," but to socialize.  The fact that the majority of us seem to ignore one another is contrary to our purpose and our existence here.  Our lack of ability or desire to be social, to even greet our fellow humans, much less exercise cordiality,  can be the root of psychological problems we bury, ignore, or unknowingly have to deal with daily.  Go out amongst the masses and be everything you can be.

A lot of cop shows, because they have the restraints of having a new case every episode, the victims often become these kinds of nameless, faceless plot points, and as an audience, we don't feel anything for those people.

-- Mireille Enos, actress

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.