BEAUTIFUL

"If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise. So be yourself, and never lose who you are in the bustle of everyday living." - anonymous

I saw this quote on someone's Facebook status the other day, and I liked it. I've been wanting to blog about this subject for a while, but knew it would take some thought to have the words come out right, so I saved it for a day when I had plenty of time.

The other week when I was off work, I watched Oprah one day and Jessica Simpson was her guest. She was on there discussing how the media places entirely too much emphasis on physical and outward beauty. In particular, she was talking about how the tabloids totally ridiculed her by saying she was "fat" and was said to have worn "mom jeans." You know the pictures I'm talking about...high-waisted jeans with a black tank top and some leopard print belt. They flashed up some pictures of when she was Daisy on Dukes of Hazard and how small she was, but she admitted that she worked out like crazy to keep that body and it wasn't easy or natural for her to be that small. She said "I don't want to look like that everyday. I don't have to wear a bathing suit all the time; I love my curves!" She said that she fluctuates between a size 4 and 6 and that she embraces who she is wholeheartedly. She was also on there to promote a new show she has coming out on VH1 about what people around the world define as "beautiful." I was absolutely shocked to learn about a practice in China where both women AND men will pay money to have their legs sawed in half then have an external fixation device placed on for stability with the hopes of growing a few inches. There's no guarantee for the number of inches, and the recovery process is at least a year long. They showed x-rays of people who had this procedure performed, and there was a huge gaping space in between the bones where they hoped new bone growth would occur and in turn, allow them to be taller. They said that height is a status symbol in their country, and there are often height requirements for certain jobs and even for some college admissions!!! They interviewed this one girl who was interested in having the procedure and she was 5'3" saying that she was hoping for better chances and a better future. (I was sitting there thinking to myself...that's how tall I am!) They even have an extremely common procedure that is performed hundreds of times a day in outpatient clinics that will give them a more "western" look by giving them more of an eyelid. They talked to a few women who had participated in this procedure and they kept emphasizing how they wanted to look more like "Americans."

That's the saddest part of all of this to me. If they were to actually come to America and see the variety of beautiful people, they would quickly realize that not everyone over here looks like the supermodels or actors/actresses that are constantly highlighted in the media as true images of "beauty." And in fact, I bet they would discover more than a few women and men who are dissatisfied about their own appearance, wishing that they too, could look like someone else. Even famous people are having surgeries and procedures performed so that they (who the media already deems as beautiful) can be even MORE beautiful. Just think about Heidi Montag from "The Hills" who recently admitted that she had 10+ plastic surgeries in ONE DAY so that she would "better fit in with the industry she is pursuing." SERIOUSLY??? A little over the top?? I think so.

I will be the first to admit that I have insecurities about the way I look. There are days where I wake up and wish that something about my body/appearance could be different. Ever since we were little, the media has blasted us from all directions of what is "beautiful." Just think about those absolutely out-of-proportion Barbie dolls we all played with! So inevitably, from the time we were small children, we all get suckered into this unrealistic stereotype of "true beauty." When I take a step back and think about how this is just a vicious cycle, it makes me sad. We are all different. No two people are created exactly the same, and I think that is what makes us all beautiful. Sure you may wish you were a little taller, tanned easier, had a different color hair, different color eyes, etc, etc. BUT WHAT IF??? What if you woke up every day and instead of wishing to be more like someone else, you were instead thankful that you are you. Simple, right? Not really, and I know the reality of the situation runs so deep in so many people's daily life. This isn't an issue that began yesterday, and there is no "quick fix." I just hope that the next time I start thinking "I wish I looked like..." that I stop and remind myself that "If God would have wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise." And maybe if more people were able to adopt that simple thought and own it as their own, it would spread like wildfire to those other countries who place us on a pedestal to define "beauty." Then, we could all stop focusing so much on outer appearances and instead truly get to know one another.