These shoes are fabulous, aren't they?
I wore them on a special night. But I felt like a giant Amazon woman as I towered over everyone else in the room, and I could barely walk. Were they worth it? Ask WebMD...they have a great slideshow of the damage high heels can cause (see it here).
I have worn necklaces and wigs that plague me with itchy red skin for days afterward. I have suffered headaches from scarves tied too tight, eye irritation resulting from eyeliner applied right on the rims of my eyes, and a pinched gut from too-tight jeans.
Is it all worth it? This is all mild compared to the surgeries and procedures many people undergo in order to feel good when they step out of their homes. Why do we do this to ourselves?!
It's nothing new, of course. All cultures, throughout history, have created painful ways of maintaining "beauty". Corsets, footbinding, neck rings--if you can imagine it, it's been done.
It's such a shame. I don't mind a little itchiness or sore feet once in awhile, but it becomes a problem when I can't fully enjoy activities I normally would because my apparel and/or body is dysfunctional. I have begun to rebel against my need to look "just so" recently. I stopped wearing my high heeled boots to work (where I'm on my feet for hours at a time), I will go without eyeliner on my lower lids once in awhile, and I am much more careful about my head feeling comfortable.
Confidence is all about the refusal to need external affirmation of inner truths. I am a beautiful person. I can convey that better with a genuine smile than a pain-filled grimace. I will still wear fabulous shoes and glittery fake lashes when the occasion calls for it. But I will determine the level of discomfort I am willing to endure by the extent to which my appearance will allow me to connect with people.
So, I ask again...how far are you willing to go to "look good"?
Hmmm... do I answer the way I want to? Or the way I think I should... Well, I can tell you I've done countless things (harmful or just plain ridiculous) to myself because I thought it would help me "look good." But my idea of looking good always had to do more with my weight. So I definitely know the pinching and binding of clothes in order to look thinner in the mirror. So silly! I also have been on a roller coaster of emotional eating, diets, and calorie counting for the entire span of my memory! Honestly... I feel like I wasted most of my life worrying about looking good instead of just enjoying life. How do we stop our kids from ending up the same way? If you figure that out, let me know... :)
ReplyDeleteIt's how ad's make us 'want', how they have us view the world - - and yes, it can come some from the home. But I feel PeerPressure is a very real thing. Thank goodnes with age comes the idea of doing what makes us Feel Good inside & out. Let's remember that when we feel healthy, we are happier - and let's try to stop wondering how other's view us. :)
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