Harkening back...
Several months ago I wrote a post of beauty, my own feelings of inadequacy and the entire concept of beauty. Today, I return to a similar subject...
But rather than talking about the different versions of beauty we may find in one another or our own view of our figures, faces and voices, I want to talk about the need to BE beautiful. Why do we need to be? Why can someone not be smart, funny, strong, healthy, or independent without the need to classify ourselves as beautiful? There is an excellent article on the subject out there that I am sure we have all come across at one point or another. I am a huge advocate of beauty, in our homes, food, the earth and etc, its just the idea that beauty is the most important part of a human that I just cannot get on board with after years of wonderful humans struggling with their lack thereof.
It's such a weird and foreign idea to separate the eye from the mind or heart, but maybe a helpful one. I think sometimes about people who are blind from birth with no images or concepts of what may or may not be beautiful, except sounds and feelings. Their vision is not skewed by what the media projects or even our stories in youth. Cinderella and whatnot. Even our mothers. Our beautiful mothers who created us truly shaped those first ideas of what was beautiful. I digress.
I cannot say that I reject the idea of being beautiful or the desire to be so, I just wish I could in myself push away the extreme need to think I am or to have others think I am. I want to overcome for myself and others this oppressive adjective that is NOT the most important part of who or what we are. Physical Beauty I refer to. For me, Gillian Welch is a prime example, along with some of my favorite bluegrass musicians. They are not particularly beautiful at first or second or third glance but after they sing and play their songs, you cannot help but find them beautiful. Their countenance, their voice. And the physical beauty just escapes description and doesn't matter anymore.
Out of nothing more than a heavy need to rid the weight so many girls between 10 and 80 carry, I want to task you to pick out your favorite aspect of yourself that as nothing to do with your appearance whatsoever. Take that and focus on it for a whole week. Find another thing, focus on that for a week more.
Just some thoughts from today as I mucked out the stalls....
Slainte
BRM
But rather than talking about the different versions of beauty we may find in one another or our own view of our figures, faces and voices, I want to talk about the need to BE beautiful. Why do we need to be? Why can someone not be smart, funny, strong, healthy, or independent without the need to classify ourselves as beautiful? There is an excellent article on the subject out there that I am sure we have all come across at one point or another. I am a huge advocate of beauty, in our homes, food, the earth and etc, its just the idea that beauty is the most important part of a human that I just cannot get on board with after years of wonderful humans struggling with their lack thereof.
It's such a weird and foreign idea to separate the eye from the mind or heart, but maybe a helpful one. I think sometimes about people who are blind from birth with no images or concepts of what may or may not be beautiful, except sounds and feelings. Their vision is not skewed by what the media projects or even our stories in youth. Cinderella and whatnot. Even our mothers. Our beautiful mothers who created us truly shaped those first ideas of what was beautiful. I digress.
I cannot say that I reject the idea of being beautiful or the desire to be so, I just wish I could in myself push away the extreme need to think I am or to have others think I am. I want to overcome for myself and others this oppressive adjective that is NOT the most important part of who or what we are. Physical Beauty I refer to. For me, Gillian Welch is a prime example, along with some of my favorite bluegrass musicians. They are not particularly beautiful at first or second or third glance but after they sing and play their songs, you cannot help but find them beautiful. Their countenance, their voice. And the physical beauty just escapes description and doesn't matter anymore.
Out of nothing more than a heavy need to rid the weight so many girls between 10 and 80 carry, I want to task you to pick out your favorite aspect of yourself that as nothing to do with your appearance whatsoever. Take that and focus on it for a whole week. Find another thing, focus on that for a week more.
Just some thoughts from today as I mucked out the stalls....
Slainte
BRM
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