plastic surgery, body image, and the government....

I was watching girl code and they were talking about plastic surgery which had me thinking about body image in general. I'll first touch on plastic surgery, the way I see it if you want something done do it for you, not anyone else. Don't get a boob job because your boyfriend or anyone else wants you to. I mean if you want it your boyfriend/ significant other probably won't fight you against it but make sure it's what you want. Because after all it's your body and that's your right.

Now on body image... The way people talk about it makes me really mad sometimes. Saying "0 is not a size" is not promoting positive body image at all. Why is it okay for curvy girls to discriminate against skinny girls and it be okay when it's an outrage the other way around? Cause hello some girls are skinny and that's okay. I'm not saying you should ever do anything unhealthy to become skinny but some chicks are skinny. Some chicks are also curvy and that's awesome. I get that in the society we live in it can be hard when people idolize these skinny models and celebrities. But bashing one body type to promote another is like going to war for peace. (which is another big issue that I have that I'll probably write about later)

Why in this society do we think the only way for yourself to win is to bring others down? Why is it so ridiculous of a thought to love everyone, no matter what they look like, sound like, dress like etc. just because we are all human? On the inside we all look the same and on the outside we all have the same body parts. Some may be bigger than others but is that seriously something we should even care about? Like honesty sit a minute and think about it. Because the more you do the more ridiculous it becomes.

But this is what businesses and the government want. They want us fixated on these vapid things so we don't deal with the real issues. Companies make so much money every time a new trend comes out, every time one person decides "this is in" and we all follow. One decade being curvy was in, another decade being skinny is. We are programmed to waste all our time on meaningless things and you don't even realize it. 

Why do we care so much what our body looks like? We never stop to think how amazing and crazy it is that we even exist. Everything in our body is connected and wired to work just right. We are made of billions of tiny little atoms and particles. I don't know if it's just me but I think that's pretty astounding. But instead we hate on our bodies and other peoples bodies because they don't "look the right way." 

And yeah I know I kind of just contradicted myself.. I think? I believe you have a right to change and look the way that makes you feel good, but we should also be aware of what a positive body image really is. We should also think about what's really going on and why we care about these trivial things. Because it's wrong and it's happening right under our noses. I will probably make a post more on the government later, but for now I'll leave it at that.

To sum it up and I guess make it more clear I believe everyone has a right to their own body. If you want to change it, enhance it, morph it, shrink it, whatever, do it if it will make you happy. What I don't agree with is the way some people view body image and the way mass media sensationalizes who got fat, who lost too much weight, covering stories on little girls who commit suicide because of the way they look, instead of doing something about it. People try to change the way people perceive body image but they go about it the wrong way, even if they have all the right intentions. We should also at least be aware of what the government is doing. #GirlCode

This kind of became a rant and went in a direction I wasn't expecting but you know it happens. I'm sitting in starbucks and feel like I'm a real live blogger now, like this was my initiation. It feels good, it feels right. 

Atelophobia

What exactly is an imperfection? Why do we see them so negatively? Why are we always striving for the unattainable? If you have a scar on your face or a birthmark on your back that is my favorite thing about you. Scars are memories. I love every single scar on my body because they remind me of something. It's amazing how they are able to bring back so many emotions, good or bad. It's like hearing a song and being taken back to the moment you first heard it, same concept. Birthmarks or freckles or moles or any other "imperfections" on your body are little kisses left from the past. What if the amount of freckles you have is the amount of lives you've lived, the way you can tell a ladybugs age by it's spots or a trees age by it's rings. Our matter is continuously recycled back into the Earth. Every molecule that you breathe, has been a part of someone or something else. Past lives aren't so far fetched. Everything in nature is organic, it's perfectly imperfect. Which is why perfection is so hard to achieve, because it doesn't truly exist. But then again how do you differentiate what really exists and what's made up? Words for instance were all made up. Think about it. Numbers and letters don't exist in nature, neither does language. But we had to make up these things to make sense of it all, so we could count the flowers and describe the moon. Because everything that ever was or ever will be is ever changing, ever evolving. We started out as nothingness in an extremely dense state, which overtime expanded forming subatomic particles. After thousands of years these particles turned to atoms, which turned to elements, which, through gravity, formed galaxies and stars, which eventually formed us. We are star dust, star stuff. How can you not love your flaws knowing that? They don't really exist, it's something we've made up because we have the idea in our heads that we should be a certain way, look a certain way. We constantly trying to obtain perfection. We think that anything different is ugly, when in reality it is just the opposite. "Imperfection is beauty." Embrace what ya got going on. Don't let anyone put you down, or make you feel bad about yourself. Look in the mirror every day and say "I is kind, I is smart, I is important." Then realize that has nothing to do with anything I just talked about and go watch The Help. Or better yet read the book. Reading is cool.

I think some thoughts

I think that everyone you ever knew holds a part of your heart. Whether it's intact or broken. Whether it's full of love or lust, hate or anger. They hold a part of you just for knowing you. I think that everyone who ever controlled your thoughts holds a part of your mind. Whether they know it or not. I think that everyone you've ever touched or who ever touched you, physically, mentally, or emotionally holds a part of your body. They were with you when you needed it and when you didn't know you needed it. We all hold a part of each other. We might feel lonely sometimes, but we are never alone.

A white girl walks into starbucks...

I really feel like stereotypes and racism and sexism and general hatred needs to be addressed. My view point is if it exists you mine as well make a joke of it. You mine as well laugh about it because when you do, you take the negative power away. I think shows like Family Guy actually have a something going by poking fun at these kinds of issues. They make really offensive things into jokes and I think that's really the only way to handle it. Hatred will always exist, but when you make light of the situation it makes it less vicious in a way. Now obviously theres a difference between making jokes about something in a good hearted way, and being down right spiteful. Obviously I think theres something very wrong when people say hateful things and mean them hatefully. But when you start to joke about these things it's a way of reclaiming the offensive terms. Because in my opinion offensive words aren't offensive you if aren't using them in that context. For instance what does calling someone a fag who isn't really a homosexual really do? The term is already offensive, and may always be offensive to certain people but it doesn't have to be. Our emotions and feelings are what make words offensive in the first place. Because when it comes down to it words are words. They are all comprised of 26 different letters and have no meaning until we give them meaning. If we brush them off and laugh along, the insulting terms or phrases eventually become powerless. Take the word leg for example, in the 16th and 17th centuries legs were so private it was considered a swear word. People were genuinely appalled by the word, the way some people today are appalled by the terms vagina or penis. (which really does not make sense to me, and never will, but nonetheless...) This shows the shift in the general consensus of what is seen as taboo. As the years go by words fall out out of use for various reasons, one being that we no longer place high value on the particular insult or term. Obviously legs are no longer obscene, therefore it is no longer considered a curse word. In the 18th century the word damn was a particularly sensitive word, so much that it would generally be written d--m. But sensitivities change and that is a rather mild term being used without a second thought. The word occupy is another example that, at the time, was used to describe the act of sexual penetration. This shows that words are always evolving and changing. So if in time words change why can't we skip that process and change them ourselves? Reclaim them. If we are all able to laugh about our stereotypes, it takes the demeaning aspects away. Once a bee stings you, it dies, this can be the same for language. Let the pain hurt you for a while, but watch it be killed and laugh as a result. We hold the power, not the words. We have the ability change and redefine them as we please so why not? Derogatory terms don't have to exist, we make them exist. So for as long as they're around the best thing to do is laugh it off. The people who are trying to be hateful won't be able to stand it, and the people who agree will appreciate it.

What inspires you?

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

When asked what inspires me, this quote immediately comes to mind because happiness inspires me. Positivity inspires me. Laughter, and joy, and love inspires me. It takes a certain type of person to realize how influential and important happiness truly is. Aya Rand believes the ultimate goal to life is self happiness and why shouldn't it be? When you are happy, it radiates from you and makes other people happy. There's nothing more inspiring than when someone's smile alone, can change someone's mood. It especially inspires me when people are happy who shouldn’t be. People who are sick, or people who live in third world countries. People who have every reason to be miserable, but choose not to be. Because life is beautiful and the world is amazing. There is always something to smile about, and if you think otherwise, smile at the moon and the stars; smile at the vastness of it all and the endless possibilities. Happiness inspires me because it can be hard. Sometimes it’s difficult and sometimes all you want to do is curl up in bed. But all the hardships in life only help you appreciate the good. It may take a traumatic experience for you to realize it, but in the end it is worth it. Happiness inspires me because of the mere power of it.

It's finally over....

Ahhh finally today's the official last day of everything!! After about four months now, it's about time. My nurse is coming to take my picc line out and I'll be free! It's been a long road but I'm almost glad it happened. A lot of positive has come out of it surprisingly. Here are a couple typical quotes that I can really relate to now.

1. You don't know what you got till its gone.
Your ankle is an important body part! You don't realize how great walking is until you can't do it anymore. So appreciate your limbs!!!

2.This too shall pass.
Believe me it will and you will come out a better person because of it.

3. When it rains, it pours.
I really never get sick, but when I do, I do it big.

4. Everything happens for a reason.
It really does. If this never happened I would still be down in Tampa, and may have never realized it wasn't the place for me. Because I had so much time to think I decided UArts would be a better fit for me and I'm really happy about the decision! Although I will dearly, dearly miss my Trampa :(

5.When life gives you lemons...
When something bad happens, turn it around into something positive and productive. If I would have never gotten sick you wouldn't be reading this right now.

6. Expect the unexpected.
Because whether you want it to happen or not, it will, or can. So prepare yourself for the worst so it's a happy surprise when the best possible situation happens.

7. Carpe Diem.
Seize the day!! Because you never know when it will seize you...

8. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Healing takes time, but when it happens it will be beautiful.

9. Too glam to give a damn.
It's true.

10. Patience is a virtue. 
You just gotta ride the ride. Things don't always happen in an instance, that's okay.

11. Death before dishonor. 
Alway remember to die before you bring upon dishonor to your family.

12. Glass half full.
No matter what, look at the glass half full. Because you could say it's half empty, or you could be the asshole that says "the glass technically is always full; half of it is water and the other half is air." Don't be that guy. Just say its half full because it represents optimism and positivity. Actually the quote is stupid, just be positive.

13. Home is where the heart is.
But sometimes being home makes you wanna rip your heart out. (Yeah dramatic but you get what I mean, your family will always have a way of getting on your nerves from time to time... or always... But they love you)

14. Just keep swimming.
Eventually you will get where you wanna go, just don't give up.

15. Keep your head up.
Rock whatever situation you're in, it will get better eventually.

16. Mind over matter. 
Will power can always outweigh physical limitations as long as you set your mind to it.

17. Don't worry be happy.
Literally just be happy. It can be that simply and easy if you let it be.

18. Break a leg.
Just kidding. Definitely don't do that, it sucks.

Don't ruin me

I hope age doesn't ruin my mind

And dilute it

So all that is left is nonsense. 

I hope my thoughts stay wild

And my ideas run rampant.

I hope age doesn't ruin my sense of wonder

And kill it

So all that is left is lifeless. 

I hope my veins pulse experience

And my eyes seek adventure.

I hope age doesn't ruin my soul

And pollute it

I hope my frequency stays high

and my energy radiates.

Because theres nothing more sad

than someone who allows age to change them. 

I have a lot of thoughts on this, so many that I'm not sure where to start. Basically I just don't want age to ruin me. I don't want it to turn me into a typical adult and there's nothing more frightening to me then the thought that it could. I am so confused how so many older people have such obscure ideas of what its like to be a kid when we all started out as one. And when someone tells me that I'll regret something when I'm older I truly believe, or want to believe, I won't. Because how can you regret something that once made you happy? A tattoo for instance, even if you don't particularly like it as you get older, how can you not look at it every day and smile due to the fact that it once made you smile. I don't think people generally see things this way. That something that once made you happy should always make you happy because it once made you happy. Does that make sense? And I guess this mindset doesn't apply to everything or everyone, but it's something to think about. And maybe it's just change that scares me. Bad change anyway. I just don't want to turn into someone I'd hate at this point in time. Because I see people who were once adventurous and carefree become so straight laced and serious. I know apart of it is maturing and growing up but it doesn't all have to be. You can mature without becoming the total opposite of who you were. Can't you? 

Something to think about

Do you ever wonder how many pictures people have taken of you? Or think about how many memories you've been in the background of? Look at all of the pictures you have and think of all the stories they hold. Now look at all the people in the background. All the strangers who have been present on the best day of your life, or the worst. The day your dream came true, or the day your dream died. You don't realize all of the memories you've shared with people you don't even know. It's a really crazy concept when you think about it. How connected we all are and the importance of all of us. How being at the right place, at the right time, you became a part of someones life totally by accident. I don't think people think about this enough. How one persons actions could effect so many others. That every choice you make could perchance change someones life entirely. I think if we all thought in this way, we would live our lives much differently. If we realized how the course of our life coincides with everyone else's around us. The impact each of us have on one another. That with every picture you take you are bringing strangers into your life and that you become apart of every picture you are in the background of. We are all interconnected. And even something as seemingly insignificant as the strangers in the background of your photos, is an essential aspect of your life.