Self-Esteem & The Strong Heroine

September 11, 2010 (<--Date I wrote it, didn't post it here that day)
 J. C. Verdin


Well, the title says a lot, doesn't it?


Most girls have looked in the mirror and has been completely disappointed with what they see. Or looked at pictures of themselves and hated them. You looked fine in the mirror, but that camera does seem to add ten pounds or blow up that zit or whatever.


We've already discussed the evils of mirrors, haven't we?


I've got a new theory: Anything that produces an image is bad. Maybe we'd be a lot happier if we couldn't see ourselves.


I have a love-hate relationship with myself. Sometimes, I'm like, "You know what, God made me a writer. That alone makes me awesome." I look in the mirror sometimes and go, "Wow. My cousin was right when she said I didn't need make-up. I am pretty without it! Take that, you losers who need make-up!" (Maybe it's not a good idea to put people down in self-esteem article.)


Other times, it's "I need a tune-up as bad as [my adorable car] Christine does." Or when I started college, my biggest fear, other than College Algebra, was whether or not I'd make new friends or if I'd fit in. I talk fast and a lot of people can't understand me. Or I'm just plain weird and I get teased.


Other than the writing part and my self-esteem issues, I am "an adjusted human being." I believe in God and that Jesus is the Way, Truth, and the Light; heaven and hell. I am attending college and majoring in English, chasing my writing dream so I can make something of myself. Why would I have self-esteem issues?


Everyone has things about themselves that they don't like, that they would change if they could. A lot of women and teenage girls have weight issues. (I'm struggling with this myself and this is where those mirror issues come in.) It's one thing to want to be healthy and live a long time, even though you'll die eventually. But just because some airbrushed chick on the cover of Seventeen or Glamour or People is flawless doesn't mean you have to be. You already got something on her: You're REAL. She's not.


I attended an Expressive Arts camp last summer. One of the teachers who did graphic design showed us a before and after picture. He lightened this girl's hair, took out her freckles, made her boobs bigger, and gave her that perfectly angular face--all on a computer. He showed this with two different pictures, one was an almost full short, the other was just a face. Neither of those women were ugly in the "before" picture.

Since you've already been been told the "fearfully and wonderfully made" Bible verse I won't say it again. But I will tell you this: Of all the people I have seen in my life (and that's a lot, since I people watch) I have NEVER seen an ugly person. I've seen drop-dead sexy guys and plain old John Does. I've seen girls that I wished that I looked like and others that were about like me.

But never have I seen anyone that was hard to look at just because of a physical appearance. Now, if I knew a handsome or plain person and I didn't like their personality, that's a different story. I don't like looking at those. There's this one guy I know. He's not the most gorgeous guy I've seen, but he's not ugly. But he said something smart-alecky to me on our first meeting and that was it! I didn't like him. We're friends now, and I use that term loosely.

Is my point made? Ladies and ladies, you are beautiful just the way you are. Single ladies, if a man doesn't have time to tell you this, then you don't have the time for him. If you've never heard that before YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. Goodnight and God bless.