i am me

It’s a Saturday morning and I’m reading a magazine in my room while waiting to hear the washing machine sing me its song to let me know that the laundry’s done. And while reading the magazine, I came across this article written by this guy that says that girls shouldn’t be so uppity and tense about how they look because individuality is key. I’m summarizing. This is basically the gist of it all.

It got me to thinking. We spend countless hours in front of the mirror, putting on the perfect flawless face (think foundation, concealer, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, fake lashes and mascara), sweat out our glands to within an inch of their lives in the gym, cry as we pay for that ‘I really need that top to look good’ top and shave our legs, arms, pubes and tweeze our eyebrows just so that we can look…just like everyone else.

We’re told which clothing brand to wear, what kind of fashion is ‘hip’ now, which lotion gives the illusion of longer legs and which hairdo that is all the rage right now, and yet, we don’t tell ourselves that we are beautiful however we look. Be it tall, short, more round than tall, more meat than bones, slightly wonky eyes and slightly fanged teeth. We’re so constantly trying to mold ourselves into looking ‘perfect’ that we fail to already see the perfection that we are. We’re all running after that illusive dream of looking like our favourite star and dressing like that glamorous model. When all we really want to do is be comfortable. Who, honestly in their right mind would want to shimmy into a pair of skintight jeans and walk around in 4 inch heels? They’re all doing it because they THINK that’s what people want and demand. It’s so sad to think of all the little girls nowadays who are so much more influenced and exposed to the cattiness and rat-race of the world. They’re starting to grow up younger. They’re reaching the point of their 30’s when they’re in their early 20’s. And to be frank, with the lifestyle that they’re emulating to adopt, they’re starting to look it too.

That being said, there’s also this ABSURD need to be OVERLY-INDIVIDUAL. Some people would go to enormous lengths JUST to look different and I don’t think that should be the way as well. Now see here, I’m not being all guru about all this yeah..i’m just saying what I’m thinking. I’m not pin-pointing or singling out anyone. It’s just verbal-diarrhoea. Continuing on that vein, I’m talking about people who would purposely lead their lives purposely standing out JUST to be noticed and by doing that, isn’t that ultimately the same as trying to fit in and be like everyone else? It’s all just wanting to be socially accepted and recognized.

I have been somewhat of a recluse lately. Choosing to stay in with a book or watch a dvd rather than hanging out with people and getting wasted. But that’s because I feel comfortable with what I’m doing. I don’t have to go out there to prove that I’m hip and cool by being with other people whose attention or assurance or opinions I need. No one should ever have to do that. Sure we have people that influence us more than others but no one should ever have the right to dictate your life. Just be you. That already-perfect-in-my-skin you.