The best decision I have EVER made

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

On Friday, I went to see Mona Lisa Smile with my sister. It was an excellent sister movie. Afterwards, we courageously went shopping at the mall. Despite many crazed grandmothers, sugar-wired toddlers, and slightly deranged looking fathers, we survived and actually got home in under thirty minutes. While we were shopping, surrounded by A&F and GAP ads, I came to this conclusion: Tonight, I am cute. I am a certifiably adorable 19-year old. I do not rely upon my brain as my sole asset. While that’s still the most important part of me, the rest of me ain’t too shabby either. I’ve come past all that stupid adolescent hating of the body that seems to carry well past menopause for most women.

Then, this morning, at about 5, not having gone to bed yet, I decided I felt so good about myself, I was going to try on my prom dress from senior year. This is my absolute favorite dress – I would wear every day if I had occasion to. It’s strapless and holds every little thing in and up in a really fantastic way. Oh, yeah, I love this dress.

So, I put on my prom dress and realize that, holy crap, it looks even better than it did when I bought it and it was tailored to my body. So, I went all out – did my hair, makeup, hauled out the heels. I feel fantastic right now. It’s 7:30 in the morning, I haven’t slept yet, and I’m sitting in front of my computer in a prom dress, wearing a tiara and mascara and I am completely happy.

I’ve reached this incredible milestone. Maybe it’s the tired talking, but I feel like I’ve finally realized that your self-worth isn’t determined solely by your intelligence or your appearance. It’s a combination of the two. It’s entirely possible to be both an intelligent woman AND an attractive one.

God, I feel so empowered now. I could run about five miles and feel nothing. And shallow, but I like how I look RIGHT NOW. This isn’t a utopia; you have to acknowledge the role that image plays in the concept of yourself.

Yeah!

2

I don’t believe you. I demand pictures.

Lots of pictures.

3

Congratulations! It’s so hard breaking past the self-dislike that so many of us seem to be programmed with. Some people never do.

Smart is sexy. Cute is sexy. The two together? Well… let’s just say that, if I wasn’t old enough to be your father, I’d demand pictures as well. :slight_smile:

4

Very cool story. Keep up the irregular hours for the rest of your life - lots of epiphanies hide in those wee small hours.

5

I second the motion for photos

6

This is great news! I’m so glad for you.

7

Ooh, pictures. Give me time. The only picture I have of myself online is one taken in a red tent on a sunny day, so that I look like an underaged, crazed French prostitute circa 1760, what with my lily-white skin and screamingly red cheeks. And it’s three years old. So I was underaged and crazed, but I have never been a French whore. Though I could give Garth Brooks a run for his money.

Also, I am back in my wildly-striped pirate pants and pink fuzzy slippers. These are sacrosanct and being photographed would only suck their power away.

Okay, at approximately 2 hours later, I am still empowered. I have not slept yet, but this feeling will stick. I feel so good, that if I died now, I would go to heaven, even though my wildly striped pirate pants are a cotton-polyester mating. For, you see, the cheesemakers shall inherit the earth, and I am from Wisconsin. :smiley:

8

Lucky. I wish I were from Wisconsin so they could overlook the wool/angora lend of this sweater. But alas, I am a New Yorker…which means I’m going to Hell no matter which sweater I wear, I may as well look nice don’t you agree?

9

Bella, we take open enrollment. Grab a cheesehead, grab some beer, and buy only ONLY Wisconsin cheddar. You’ll be an honorary Wisconsinite just as soon as you promise never to say Westconsin.

10

Congratulations on feeling the way you do. There are so many people out there who don’t like the way they look even though they look just fine to the masses. They hold themselves to a much higher standard propogated by the media and it’s just unneccessary. I think most people look great as they are and they look even better if they walk and think like they look good themselves.

Heck, with an attitude like yours you’d look good in torn tshirt and jeans or sweats. Don’t lose what you’ve got now.

Horseflesh
Frequent purchaser of Wisconsin sharp cheddar, lover of the Wisconsin countryside (no really, I tell people all the time that it’s the prettiest state I’ve been too), and planning on a trip soon to see the House on the Rock (yet again).

11

I know. I got tired of all the posing and fretting and crap that seems to be inbuilt in being between the ages of 12 and 112 in the US today. I looked at myself and I looked at the women in my family and decided that it simply too hard and too stupid not to love myself for what I am, because I love my mother and sister for what they are, and we all look exactly alike. If I can’t love the faces I make when I’m brushing my teeth, how can I love the faces I make when I’m happy? My friends love me and they’ve never asked me to change. Better to go forth with laughter than tears. Especially in December, when they’d just freeze to your face anyway.

Sarah
Who strangely enough, grew up less than forty minutes away from House on the Rock. I consider it the best “tourist attraction” in SW Wisconsin. The Infinity Room used to scare the crap out of me, because it felt like it would collapse in a strong wind. And the chipmunks in the eating areas are adorable. They eat hot dog buns out of your hands. And the countryside IS beautiful. I’d love to get married in our cow pasture, but for the cow flops.

12

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I want to go to House on the Rock because it was in a book I read. Same reason I stopped in Cairo, IL on my last road trip, hehe. Same book.

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