If we are to go by statistical evidence, the average woman spends an hour a day in front of the mirror. That is, two weeks a year!
The earliest evidence of mirrors being used by humans goes back to 600BC in Greece. The earliest form of mirror was water or any other liquid in a container for one to see his or her reflection and do the hair or put on make-up. They weren’t portable. Galvanised mirror was invented by Germen chemist Justus Von Liebig in 1835.
The mirror, other than diamond perhaps, has been woman’s best friend.
She leisurely looks into the mirror before stepping out of the house. She gets so engrossed while putting on make-up or adjusting her hair that she often forgets about the world around.
Sometimes, she even talks to the mirror or rather her image, asking questions and answering them in perception of her own beauty. A relevant quote from a writer is about how much a woman is lost in front of her mirror—“I breathe onto a mirror just to make sure I’m still alive”.
What are the questions a girl or a woman would ask the mirror? “Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?” “Am I worth a second or third look by beholders?” “Will the special one notice me and appreciate my beauty?”
It is all unspoken admiration and acknowledgement of a woman’s beauty by unknown passers-by, by body language, admiring glance or second/third took. The woman smiles to herself and pats her back. If a boyfriend or a male acquaintance appreciates her looks, he has made her day.
Mirrors are ubiquitously placed, you sight them at the washbasin, dressing table, near the door or even in the handbag to make sure for the woman that the friend is always at hand.
I am reminded of a complaint in a multistory apartment where one had to wait for long to get into the lift. The complaints were mainly from women. A brainy manager hit upon a novel idea—he fixed a couple of life-size mirrors at each floor near the lift. No more complaints about the belated lift were heard again.
A woman asks questions to herself/the mirror because it gives them a sense of confidence.
But the reflection that one sees everyday has nothing to do with how others look at us. For, the glass lies. When you lose sight of yourself, you lose your way. To keep the truth in sight you must keep yourself in sight and the world to you should be a mirror that reflects to you your image. More than the mirror, the world should be the mirror for one to reflect upon.