Slightly Flawed

Friday 7.29am

I like to think of myself as the perfect well rounded individual. Rounded, yes but I am working on that (must eat less, must eat less, . . ). But perfect, no. Mostly I feel more like an item on Antiques Roadshow. The crowds will be there gathered round the tables, the television cameras will close in as the expert carefully unwraps me from my supermarket carrier bag and newspaper covering. "Oh, how beautifull" he'll say as he gently picks me out of the wrapping. "These are very collectable at the moment, very collectable. Just last week a piece such as this in good condition sold for over a million pounds". The audience breath in sharply and the old codger that brought me holds his breath and goes very still, not daring to think about what the expert has just said. " Ah but if you look carefully here" he says running his finger across my skin "If you look carefully you can see a flaw running across here" The audience lean forwards in a vain attempt to see as he continues " A beautiful piece, and I am sure it will give you much pleasure to own, how did you come about it?" As the old man tells his tale the audience begin to get restless and look around. The expert is just going through the motions now, his eyes straying along the queue looking for the next morsel. The audience is dying to get away but there is just one last thing . . . . " The value?" says the expert " In this condition I should think, oh . . . . 3 pounds. On a good day that is." And with that edict my fate is sealed.

In public I often feel like that - flawed. Those around me look me over and dismiss me as worthless in a matter of seconds.

I wonder what they are looking for that they cannot find?