There are many different ways to view our lives.

Each of us is telling ourselves a story in which we are the protagonist,

and we are telling ourselves a story about the people we know as well and they are

telling themselves a story about us. None of these stories are the same. The story of Brian, as told by you, is different from the story of Brian as told by your husband, and the one told by your neighbor, by your boss, by your childhood friend.

Each of those is different again.

It can be useful to think about what stories other people are telling themselves about us.

Someone might feel their life is short. themselves about us.

Someone might feel their life is shabby and poor, but to those on the outside it looks

bohemian and chic.

Someone might feel their life is perilous, isolated, obsessive.

But to those in the outside, it looks determined, independent, righteous. What story do you tell yourself, Brian?

What stories do you think others tell themselves about you?

The guests you invited to your home this past weekend, for example, and the guests you didn't

invite? I'm referring to those your husband invited of

course. There were a lot of people in your home and each of them has a different

Brian in their minds. What do you think those Bryan's are like?

There were a lot of variables at play of course. Those who were first to arrive in the early

afternoon bringing salads might have had a different perspective to the ones who turned up after evening had fallen, bringing bottles of vodka or gin.

Those who love dogs might have had a different experience than those who merely tolerate them or even dislike them.

He's a beautiful animal by the way. I've always loved catahoula leopard dogs. They can be a bit territorial but yours seems like such a gentle boy.

Was there anyone new? Anyone you hadn't met before? institution, the backyard barbecue. Having people over for dinner, for example, is a much

more intimate proposition, more controlled, too. A house party can be so anonymous.

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