Ugh, so this morning, I was reading Arab Times online about how social life is driving women to plastic surgery (http://bit.ly/uf23X1) and it got me fuming.
If you have ever gazing in the mirror disliked what you see, if you have ever started a crazy diet or exhausted yourself from working intensely at the gym in order to reduce those extra few kilos, if you have ever found yourself commenting at other women, saying things like, “Ugh, she shouldn’t be eating that,” or “Honey, you sure you want to wear that ?”, if you have ever claimed that you’ll commit suicide once you turn 40: (which I regularly hear from my over conscious friends) than this read is for you!
Seriously Ladies! This has gotta stop! The opinions of ourselves and other women about looks, clothes, age, weight and the pros and cons of Botox, liposuction etc. are wasting away our time and surrendering our integral power to an anonymous society that dictates to us a concept of beauty that is followed by many of us blindly.
Flip through any magazine and you’ll gather a message loud and clear about what exactly comprises a perfect woman: 36-24-36 , between 5 ft. 2 in to 5 ft. 8 in, flawless skin, perfect brilliant white teeth and a long mane of hair, between the ages of 21-31. It doesn’t matter if you speak four languages or could talk for hours about the art of binomial nomenclature. No one is paying any attention if you have more books than pairs of boots or that you came first in school’s debating championship. Or at least, that’s what they would like you to believe.
All this is nothing new, and it will keep happening of course. I believe the media has played an important role in limiting the view of the perfect woman and imposing their own version of it for eons. However Women – we are not doing anything about it to help ourselves. We try to look dazed or disregard it completely, but we typically surrender to it, in one way or another. We assess ourselves to this version of the “perfect woman” and slowly but surely begin to view others to the same unit of measurement. We’ve all given a “missy” a stare over a skirt that’s too short or too tight, or with make-up too thick, or that extra chocolate coated filled donut being eaten by someone who is not a size zero. Even if you don’t do it, someone else still does and that is sorrowful.
We are part of a social dogma that we as women self-perpetuate and give credence to the myth of the perfect women – wrapped in a box – always glittery and graceful. And that very woman who you are judging for wearing a bright red lipstick or a dress that’s two sizes too small for her is doing so , so that she too can be part of the myth.
Ladies, this is a vicious circle and we all have to take a deep breath and realize that we are all here in different shapes and sizes, and that’s how we were meant to be! Look after yourself but do not demean your existence for the myth! Appreciate your curves if you have them and if you don’t, appreciate the fact that you can shop from anywhere. And to all my friends you have turned 40 or will soon be – Be delighted that you have the life long experience of understanding the world around you and wisdom to share with ones younger than you. No one looks up to a 20 year old for an advice?? I can very proudly say that the most motivating and thought-provoking ladies I have met are over 35, who have fascinating stories to share and more exciting ones to look forward to.
Admire, encourage, compliment and congratulate our dear femmes in whatever they do, and please learn to let go of the myth and enjoy who we really are.
