Dear Cigarettes:
We have been together so long that I find it so terribly difficult to have to say goodbye to you, but alas, I must. We've been together everyday for 29 years and I will miss you deeply. I no longer can keep up with you financially and my health is at stake being for so into you. In spite of the health concerns I have loved you completely although our time together must come to an end. I feel that I should be totally honest with you and let you know why I have to leave you.
1. I'm too addicted to your nicotine and your tar can cause me to get lung cancer. I just can't risk it any more.
2. To quote Shakespeare: "Your grace is too costly to wear everyday". I'm spending a fortune on you and I'm not wealthy enough to be in your company.
3. The problems I have encountered from being in your presence has put too much emotional stress on my life and loved ones. I simply can't endure the problems anymore.
Please know that I will remember you fondly but will never keep company with you again. I have been without you for 10 days now and know that I will be better off without you.
Goodbye Forever,
Lara
Friday, September 30, 2011
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Coffee, Tea....or ME???
This post came into being simply because I clicked on a news link of the local edition of my homepage. This is what came up: http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=19009
That's right. It states that Texas Governor, Rick Perry, is "telling tea party organizers across Texas to watch their backs for liberals who wish to do them harm.
In an invitation-only conference call, Perry urged those participating in Thursday's tax day rallies to 'continue looking over your shoulder.'
Perry was following up on warnings from activist Michael Quinn Sullivan that 'some liberals are going to try to infiltrate tea parties with racist signs.'
Perry says he's expecting 'every dirty trick is going to get played on tea parties.'"
Nice! Our Governor Goodhair has taken it upon himself to "warn" the Tea Partiers about the crazy liberals...because we are such a violent bunch! If that is not a fine example of an inflammatory statement, I don't know what is!
Then it dawned on me that I really had no idea what this "Tea Party", "Tea Baggers", "Tea Party Patriots" shtick is all about. I needed to learn more about them. Who are they? What do they want? How can we reach a reasonable compromise? And in my opinion...when it doubt, Google it! And here is what I found: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhsxmzm7_19fcdzskg5
The Mission Statement and core values for the Tea Party Patriots is:
The impetuses for the Tea Party movement are excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.
What does that mean??? They want to return America to post-revolutionary war times? Really?!?! The Constitutionally Limited Government worked very well for the first one hundred years of the "start-up" country that we were back then. How on EARTH, can we return to that?
What I recall, from my American History classes, is that the Boston Tea party was nothing but a bunch of fat, white, wealthy land owners that didn't want to pay their taxes. Oh sure, they wanted the protection and backing of Mother England, but without paying the piper to have it! So they came up with the taxation without representation thing. Those fat, wealthy, land owners built this country on the backs of slaves and claimed the work to be their own! In some respects, I'm ashamed to be an American and for this very reason. The Europeans tortured and killed the indigenous people of this land when they arrived. Those that they didn't kill with their bare hands or weapons, they killed with disease. And lest we not forget the millions of Africans that were plucked from their homes and families to be sold into a life of submission and servitude!
Flash forward one hundred years. Now it's time for the American Civil War. Why did that war happen? Because, a bunch of fat, white, wealthy land owners didn't want to have to actually pay the people that provided their livelihood from blood, sweat and tears! Those people that truly built this country and to this day are fighting for an equality that they should have had simply because they are human.
Oversimplification? Not in my eyes. To me...this is what the Tea Party Bagger Patriots want...to return our country to a bunch of fat, white, wealthy land owners that will force the lesser monied people into submission of their will. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! (Is monied a real word? I like it if it's not...so just roll with it)
Because, I'm an intelligent, somewhat educated, extremely liberal democrat, I decided that I would not only learn about the Tea Party, but about the people that it is consisting of. I wandered over to the Glenn Beck fan page on Facebook. One of the comments made by a fan on that page was "I would like to know who in here still thinks that they will not be charged a dime more in taxes under the Obama regime. I hate to burst your bubble, because Obama Bin Lyin'." So, I asked "What was the lie that Obama told?". The response I got was AMAZING!!! Immediately, I was called a troll. If you are not familiar with the new definition of that term it is: someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community. I'm sorry I must have missed the part where I was inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic. The really shocking thing was that instead of addressing my genuine question, the entire room turned to mob-rule and my private parts were discussed as diseased. Upon returning to that page today...silently too, I might add...I realized that it is the same people spouting their falsities and half-truths to anyone who will listen and also that the post where my private parts are put up for discussion has been deleted. They say they want an intelligent conversation about the issues...problem is that they don't want to have it with anyone who thinks differently than they do. To me, it only says that these "Beckies" have no original thought, education, or purpose in their lives. That talking only amongst themselves can be fulfilling because a differing opinion would throw a wrench in their horribly closeted lives. And just so you know the real answer the the question this "Beckie" poses...here's the answer: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/515/no-family-making-less-250000-will-see-any-form-tax/
The other person I researched was Ann Coulter. How do these people make it to where they are in life? Here we have two people, Beck and Coulter, who are the biggest "shock-jocks" I have ever come across. Beck and Coulter use their idiot rhetoric to compel uneducated, politically unaware people to become inflammatory conversationalists and possess extraneous ideas. So uneducated that they learn a new term and can't even use it properly. I watched enough news clips of the two of them to know exactly what I speak of. And the "Beckies" on Becks fan page prove my theory. Check it out for yourself. These people do not care about the truth. These people care about discrediting the President with lies. Did the Democrats do this when the Court-Appointed Idiot President took office? No, we just gave him enough rope so that he'd hang himself...and I really think he did.
Case in point: "Obama should not have won the Nobel Peace Prize". I had many conversations with people about the President winning the Nobel Prize. They said "he hasn't done anything" and "he doesn't deserve it". My question to them was: then who did deserve it? Not only did they not know who else had been nominated, but they couldn't name one winner or nominee within the last ten years. So it seems to me that they are just complaining because it's Obama. Just like the majority of Republicans are just trying to hold up the progress that Obama stands for, just because he's Obama. I'm really tired of it myself.
Is this really what America needs to be returned to? I certainly hope not. This is all way out of hand. This country elected Barack Obama. The people spoke. We will speak again in November. To quote Bill Mahr (my hero) "I'll show you Obama's Birth Certificate, when you show me Sarah Palin's High School Diploma".
Back to my original question...how do we reach a reasonable compromise? We take the hate-mongering off the table. Personally, I would like Fox News banned from this country, just like it's banned in other countries. We will never solve any problems while people are hurling insults about (someone with a brain's) private parts. But most of all, we discredit and retire the inflammatory commentators that are plugging up the American broadcast waves. Because until this type of behavior is off the table, no reasonable conversations will be had.
I really don't care if you are a Republican, or a Democrat. We have to work together as a COUNTRY to make this COUNTRY work. We are all responsible for the management of our lives and how we live them. Why is it not important to some people to act like grown ups during a conversation about the future of this nation? As long as the "Beckies" and "Coulties" are listening to their shock Gods we are a nation in trouble. Until they acknowledge what the real issues are and stop fixating on half-truths and political spins, we are headed down the drain.
I'm not a politician or an economist. This is all my humble opinion and it counts for just that...my opinion. So rip me up if you feel it's necessary...you only prove my point that much more. At any rate, I won't respond. I'll just know that you're a troll!
Phineas and Tonks approve this message!
Good night and good luck out there with the Tea! We have our work cut out for us.
That's right. It states that Texas Governor, Rick Perry, is "telling tea party organizers across Texas to watch their backs for liberals who wish to do them harm.
In an invitation-only conference call, Perry urged those participating in Thursday's tax day rallies to 'continue looking over your shoulder.'
Perry was following up on warnings from activist Michael Quinn Sullivan that 'some liberals are going to try to infiltrate tea parties with racist signs.'
Perry says he's expecting 'every dirty trick is going to get played on tea parties.'"
Nice! Our Governor Goodhair has taken it upon himself to "warn" the Tea Partiers about the crazy liberals...because we are such a violent bunch! If that is not a fine example of an inflammatory statement, I don't know what is!
Then it dawned on me that I really had no idea what this "Tea Party", "Tea Baggers", "Tea Party Patriots" shtick is all about. I needed to learn more about them. Who are they? What do they want? How can we reach a reasonable compromise? And in my opinion...when it doubt, Google it! And here is what I found: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhsxmzm7_19fcdzskg5
The Mission Statement and core values for the Tea Party Patriots is:
The impetuses for the Tea Party movement are excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.
What does that mean??? They want to return America to post-revolutionary war times? Really?!?! The Constitutionally Limited Government worked very well for the first one hundred years of the "start-up" country that we were back then. How on EARTH, can we return to that?
What I recall, from my American History classes, is that the Boston Tea party was nothing but a bunch of fat, white, wealthy land owners that didn't want to pay their taxes. Oh sure, they wanted the protection and backing of Mother England, but without paying the piper to have it! So they came up with the taxation without representation thing. Those fat, wealthy, land owners built this country on the backs of slaves and claimed the work to be their own! In some respects, I'm ashamed to be an American and for this very reason. The Europeans tortured and killed the indigenous people of this land when they arrived. Those that they didn't kill with their bare hands or weapons, they killed with disease. And lest we not forget the millions of Africans that were plucked from their homes and families to be sold into a life of submission and servitude!
Flash forward one hundred years. Now it's time for the American Civil War. Why did that war happen? Because, a bunch of fat, white, wealthy land owners didn't want to have to actually pay the people that provided their livelihood from blood, sweat and tears! Those people that truly built this country and to this day are fighting for an equality that they should have had simply because they are human.
Oversimplification? Not in my eyes. To me...this is what the Tea Party Bagger Patriots want...to return our country to a bunch of fat, white, wealthy land owners that will force the lesser monied people into submission of their will. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! (Is monied a real word? I like it if it's not...so just roll with it)
Because, I'm an intelligent, somewhat educated, extremely liberal democrat, I decided that I would not only learn about the Tea Party, but about the people that it is consisting of. I wandered over to the Glenn Beck fan page on Facebook. One of the comments made by a fan on that page was "I would like to know who in here still thinks that they will not be charged a dime more in taxes under the Obama regime. I hate to burst your bubble, because Obama Bin Lyin'." So, I asked "What was the lie that Obama told?". The response I got was AMAZING!!! Immediately, I was called a troll. If you are not familiar with the new definition of that term it is: someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community. I'm sorry I must have missed the part where I was inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic. The really shocking thing was that instead of addressing my genuine question, the entire room turned to mob-rule and my private parts were discussed as diseased. Upon returning to that page today...silently too, I might add...I realized that it is the same people spouting their falsities and half-truths to anyone who will listen and also that the post where my private parts are put up for discussion has been deleted. They say they want an intelligent conversation about the issues...problem is that they don't want to have it with anyone who thinks differently than they do. To me, it only says that these "Beckies" have no original thought, education, or purpose in their lives. That talking only amongst themselves can be fulfilling because a differing opinion would throw a wrench in their horribly closeted lives. And just so you know the real answer the the question this "Beckie" poses...here's the answer: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/515/no-family-making-less-250000-will-see-any-form-tax/
The other person I researched was Ann Coulter. How do these people make it to where they are in life? Here we have two people, Beck and Coulter, who are the biggest "shock-jocks" I have ever come across. Beck and Coulter use their idiot rhetoric to compel uneducated, politically unaware people to become inflammatory conversationalists and possess extraneous ideas. So uneducated that they learn a new term and can't even use it properly. I watched enough news clips of the two of them to know exactly what I speak of. And the "Beckies" on Becks fan page prove my theory. Check it out for yourself. These people do not care about the truth. These people care about discrediting the President with lies. Did the Democrats do this when the Court-Appointed Idiot President took office? No, we just gave him enough rope so that he'd hang himself...and I really think he did.
Case in point: "Obama should not have won the Nobel Peace Prize". I had many conversations with people about the President winning the Nobel Prize. They said "he hasn't done anything" and "he doesn't deserve it". My question to them was: then who did deserve it? Not only did they not know who else had been nominated, but they couldn't name one winner or nominee within the last ten years. So it seems to me that they are just complaining because it's Obama. Just like the majority of Republicans are just trying to hold up the progress that Obama stands for, just because he's Obama. I'm really tired of it myself.
Is this really what America needs to be returned to? I certainly hope not. This is all way out of hand. This country elected Barack Obama. The people spoke. We will speak again in November. To quote Bill Mahr (my hero) "I'll show you Obama's Birth Certificate, when you show me Sarah Palin's High School Diploma".
Back to my original question...how do we reach a reasonable compromise? We take the hate-mongering off the table. Personally, I would like Fox News banned from this country, just like it's banned in other countries. We will never solve any problems while people are hurling insults about (someone with a brain's) private parts. But most of all, we discredit and retire the inflammatory commentators that are plugging up the American broadcast waves. Because until this type of behavior is off the table, no reasonable conversations will be had.
I really don't care if you are a Republican, or a Democrat. We have to work together as a COUNTRY to make this COUNTRY work. We are all responsible for the management of our lives and how we live them. Why is it not important to some people to act like grown ups during a conversation about the future of this nation? As long as the "Beckies" and "Coulties" are listening to their shock Gods we are a nation in trouble. Until they acknowledge what the real issues are and stop fixating on half-truths and political spins, we are headed down the drain.
I'm not a politician or an economist. This is all my humble opinion and it counts for just that...my opinion. So rip me up if you feel it's necessary...you only prove my point that much more. At any rate, I won't respond. I'll just know that you're a troll!
Phineas and Tonks approve this message!
Good night and good luck out there with the Tea! We have our work cut out for us.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The World is Online...
When my nephew was just a little tyke, his kindergarten teacher asked him a question. He didn't know the answer, so he replied "I don't know, I'll have to check my email". If this isn't an indication of where we are today, I don't know what is.
Online is everywhere. I am actually surprised that all printed news media isn't obsolete already. We look online for movie listings, for recipes, and oddly enough for friends.
For singles, like me, online is a world of social networking. Finding online friends is easy but how do you meet people online for dating purposes? That's the hard part. I recently signed up for the 2 big dating sites (the ones based on chemistry and personality profiles).
Now, I'm a reasonable girl. I don't expect a lot when it comes to relationships. I'm simply looking for a man that can be himself. He only needs to be honest and open. I don't really care what he looks like, I've never been concerned about that. Honestly, I am one of the few women I know that actually likes bald men! The main point is that he must be comfortable with himself and happy with who he is.
Enter "chemistry.com". Now, since I'm on disability and don't work, actually PAYING for these sites is not possible for me. However, it is possible to create a profile and see what matches are made for you. I'm sure it's all very scientific. Here's the catch....are the men really being honest when they answer the questions?
I really have a hard time picturing that biker dude enjoying the opera. Am I wrong to judge the book by the cover? Somehow, even if he did loose the dew rag (or however that is spelled) and shave the handlebar mustache, could he get into a nice fuzzy sweater and button-down shirt to go to the Long Center? Would he be comfortable going to museums? These are things that one must consider when all you have is the cover to use in making decisions. With that said, I have chosen many wonderful books simply because I liked the cover...so it stands to reason, in my mind, that this philosophy would work with online dating. I'm not saying I wouldn't go out with the biker dude, I just can't picture "chemistry" happening when potential conflict exists in just the cover...so why waste his time and mine?
Next entry: "Free communication weekend". Profile was created and matches made. Not terribly impressed with any men on my list...but intrigued just the same. Then the offer to communicate (without paying for the service) was presented. Suddenly, I'm inundated with messages. Weed through and find 2 that I'm willing to talk to. One I could tell right away was European...and if you know me, you know what a turn on that is. The other, a less impressive cover, but cute (and tall) just the same.
Several emails later, I went on a date with the less impressive cover. We had a nice dinner and conversation. Unfortunately, the last few men that have asked me out had problems speaking their native language. That really bothers me. Both of these men used words like "prolly" for probably, and "supposably" for supposedly, and my biggest pet peeve word: "liberry" for (obviously) library.
Does this make me a snob for wanting to spend time with a man that has a firm grasp on language? It only stands to reason (again, in my mind, at least) that if he's going to be open and honest he needs to be able to express it. So, if he uses words like "supposably", then is he really capable of expressing himself? I do feel a bit like Jerry Seinfeld - "I didn't like the way she ate her peas" or "she had man hands"...but, I think, when considering a partner, intellect and the ability to communicate is muy importante!
Maybe this is why I'm still single...I expect too much? I don't think so actually. I have spent too many years settling on men that were just not right for me. I even married so far beneath myself (not that I have some grand station in life) that I'm still shocked, 11 years later, that I could have been so stupid and let myself be manipulated in such a way. I learned that lesson the hard way!
Some people might think that at my age, I should just grab which ever available man is around. I think at my age, I have earned the right to be extremely picky. I won't settle for anything less that I deserve.
Online dating can be great for some people. I happen to know a couple that met this way, got married, had a baby, and are very happy. For me, I am willing to think that it can work...but only if all parties involved are being honest, and how can ya tell? I guess that's where the faith part comes in and the digging begins. I guess I do get to be a bit of an archeologist after all.
Online is everywhere. I am actually surprised that all printed news media isn't obsolete already. We look online for movie listings, for recipes, and oddly enough for friends.
For singles, like me, online is a world of social networking. Finding online friends is easy but how do you meet people online for dating purposes? That's the hard part. I recently signed up for the 2 big dating sites (the ones based on chemistry and personality profiles).
Now, I'm a reasonable girl. I don't expect a lot when it comes to relationships. I'm simply looking for a man that can be himself. He only needs to be honest and open. I don't really care what he looks like, I've never been concerned about that. Honestly, I am one of the few women I know that actually likes bald men! The main point is that he must be comfortable with himself and happy with who he is.
Enter "chemistry.com". Now, since I'm on disability and don't work, actually PAYING for these sites is not possible for me. However, it is possible to create a profile and see what matches are made for you. I'm sure it's all very scientific. Here's the catch....are the men really being honest when they answer the questions?
I really have a hard time picturing that biker dude enjoying the opera. Am I wrong to judge the book by the cover? Somehow, even if he did loose the dew rag (or however that is spelled) and shave the handlebar mustache, could he get into a nice fuzzy sweater and button-down shirt to go to the Long Center? Would he be comfortable going to museums? These are things that one must consider when all you have is the cover to use in making decisions. With that said, I have chosen many wonderful books simply because I liked the cover...so it stands to reason, in my mind, that this philosophy would work with online dating. I'm not saying I wouldn't go out with the biker dude, I just can't picture "chemistry" happening when potential conflict exists in just the cover...so why waste his time and mine?
Next entry: "Free communication weekend". Profile was created and matches made. Not terribly impressed with any men on my list...but intrigued just the same. Then the offer to communicate (without paying for the service) was presented. Suddenly, I'm inundated with messages. Weed through and find 2 that I'm willing to talk to. One I could tell right away was European...and if you know me, you know what a turn on that is. The other, a less impressive cover, but cute (and tall) just the same.
Several emails later, I went on a date with the less impressive cover. We had a nice dinner and conversation. Unfortunately, the last few men that have asked me out had problems speaking their native language. That really bothers me. Both of these men used words like "prolly" for probably, and "supposably" for supposedly, and my biggest pet peeve word: "liberry" for (obviously) library.
Does this make me a snob for wanting to spend time with a man that has a firm grasp on language? It only stands to reason (again, in my mind, at least) that if he's going to be open and honest he needs to be able to express it. So, if he uses words like "supposably", then is he really capable of expressing himself? I do feel a bit like Jerry Seinfeld - "I didn't like the way she ate her peas" or "she had man hands"...but, I think, when considering a partner, intellect and the ability to communicate is muy importante!
Maybe this is why I'm still single...I expect too much? I don't think so actually. I have spent too many years settling on men that were just not right for me. I even married so far beneath myself (not that I have some grand station in life) that I'm still shocked, 11 years later, that I could have been so stupid and let myself be manipulated in such a way. I learned that lesson the hard way!
Some people might think that at my age, I should just grab which ever available man is around. I think at my age, I have earned the right to be extremely picky. I won't settle for anything less that I deserve.
Online dating can be great for some people. I happen to know a couple that met this way, got married, had a baby, and are very happy. For me, I am willing to think that it can work...but only if all parties involved are being honest, and how can ya tell? I guess that's where the faith part comes in and the digging begins. I guess I do get to be a bit of an archeologist after all.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Is Beauty Really Only Skin Deep?
When we are in our early twenties, we are beautiful. Our bodies are slim and svelte, and our minds are untarnished by life's hard lessons. At least that was true for me. Sadly, I didn't even realize what I had.
Several months ago, I decided to do some organizing around the house (with the help of Tonks, 5 and Phineas, 3...everyone knows that you can't clean out a closet without the help of your cats) and came across 2 boxes of pictures that screamed "organize me!!!". So I did. In these boxes were hundreds of pictures that I had collected over the years. Some had been given to me, some I took, and some were generations old family photos that somehow landed in my unorganized hands. I proceeded to create new photo albums and chronicled my life.
The reoccurring theme throughout organizing these photos was "did I really look like that?". Compared to how I look now, I was a bit shocked. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not an unattractive woman...I'm just not 20 anymore. My point is that every woman in the world (and every man too) deserves to believe that she, or he, is beautiful. Because there is a difference between inside and out with respect to beauty, for the sake of this post we're going to stick with the outside one today. I have no doubt that at some point in the future I will touch on the inside beauty topic.
So, why do I believe that every person ought to believe that they are beautiful? Simple. Because they are. Just being alive means that you are a human...a mystical, carbon-based life form, with many complex systems and the ability to reason. If you're lucky, you even have opposable thumbs. We have to admit that life is fascinating. Our reactions to life seem to preoccupy us to the fullest at times.
This is my latest reaction to the curve ball that life just threw. Did I really look like that? Could I have possibly been that pretty? I heard all my life that I had pretty eyes, but for the most part grew up believing that, I was at best, an average looking girl. I'm not saying that I thought I should have been conceited or anything, I just realized that I never got to appreciate the inherent beauty that all of us possess early in life.
I have lived my life on both sides of the fat fence. I have been very overweight, and very underweight, and sometimes at the right weight. Does junk in the trunk constitute ugly? I don't think so. If we dug into the inner beauty part, there would be issue, but since we aren't going there, I'm not going to breach it. Now that I'm nearly 44 years old, I can honestly say that I think I'm an attractive woman...but I do have some junk in the trunk. Am I vain for thinking that I'm not ugly for this? Absolutely not!! At my age, and with what my life has endured, I deserve to think that I'm extremely beautiful...simply because I made it this far! And even in spite of the fact that my best guy is my boy Phineas.
Beauty, in my opinion, is not just skin deep. Beauty is the sum of all parts: inner, outer, emotional, etc. Beauty is something we create in our own minds. Perhaps a painting that I love you think is a big ol' mess. I think one advantage I had with not knowing how pretty I was at 20 - I didn't base my relationship choices on physical looks and expected the same in return (OH, I can feel another post coming on with that sentiment).
I made a lot of choices based on the belief that I wasn't anything more than average, when it should have been the opposite. At 20, I had the world at my door, beckoning me to hop on and ride. Had I been a bit more attentive to the details, I might have had a different path of self-worth. And then another curve ball gets tossed...more than 20 years later I'm forced to hop back on the world and ride. Just that this time I'm smarter, stronger, and much better equipped for the curve balls.
Phineas and Tonks send their best...both have sniffed the computer screen and provided approval of the message.
Several months ago, I decided to do some organizing around the house (with the help of Tonks, 5 and Phineas, 3...everyone knows that you can't clean out a closet without the help of your cats) and came across 2 boxes of pictures that screamed "organize me!!!". So I did. In these boxes were hundreds of pictures that I had collected over the years. Some had been given to me, some I took, and some were generations old family photos that somehow landed in my unorganized hands. I proceeded to create new photo albums and chronicled my life.
The reoccurring theme throughout organizing these photos was "did I really look like that?". Compared to how I look now, I was a bit shocked. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not an unattractive woman...I'm just not 20 anymore. My point is that every woman in the world (and every man too) deserves to believe that she, or he, is beautiful. Because there is a difference between inside and out with respect to beauty, for the sake of this post we're going to stick with the outside one today. I have no doubt that at some point in the future I will touch on the inside beauty topic.
So, why do I believe that every person ought to believe that they are beautiful? Simple. Because they are. Just being alive means that you are a human...a mystical, carbon-based life form, with many complex systems and the ability to reason. If you're lucky, you even have opposable thumbs. We have to admit that life is fascinating. Our reactions to life seem to preoccupy us to the fullest at times.
This is my latest reaction to the curve ball that life just threw. Did I really look like that? Could I have possibly been that pretty? I heard all my life that I had pretty eyes, but for the most part grew up believing that, I was at best, an average looking girl. I'm not saying that I thought I should have been conceited or anything, I just realized that I never got to appreciate the inherent beauty that all of us possess early in life.
I have lived my life on both sides of the fat fence. I have been very overweight, and very underweight, and sometimes at the right weight. Does junk in the trunk constitute ugly? I don't think so. If we dug into the inner beauty part, there would be issue, but since we aren't going there, I'm not going to breach it. Now that I'm nearly 44 years old, I can honestly say that I think I'm an attractive woman...but I do have some junk in the trunk. Am I vain for thinking that I'm not ugly for this? Absolutely not!! At my age, and with what my life has endured, I deserve to think that I'm extremely beautiful...simply because I made it this far! And even in spite of the fact that my best guy is my boy Phineas.
Beauty, in my opinion, is not just skin deep. Beauty is the sum of all parts: inner, outer, emotional, etc. Beauty is something we create in our own minds. Perhaps a painting that I love you think is a big ol' mess. I think one advantage I had with not knowing how pretty I was at 20 - I didn't base my relationship choices on physical looks and expected the same in return (OH, I can feel another post coming on with that sentiment).
I made a lot of choices based on the belief that I wasn't anything more than average, when it should have been the opposite. At 20, I had the world at my door, beckoning me to hop on and ride. Had I been a bit more attentive to the details, I might have had a different path of self-worth. And then another curve ball gets tossed...more than 20 years later I'm forced to hop back on the world and ride. Just that this time I'm smarter, stronger, and much better equipped for the curve balls.
Phineas and Tonks send their best...both have sniffed the computer screen and provided approval of the message.
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