Sunday, July 14, 2013

Summer Fashion! (or How Skin is Actually Pretty Amazing.)

This one is about skin, about how it's what we live in everyday. 
And about our bodies in general and how they do so much for us. 
But so many of us hate them, not because they won't do what we want or inhibit us in some way, but because of how they look! 
And can we please just realize how completely silly that is. It is completely backwards and unhealthy.

 I hear so often phrases like "They shouldn't wear that", often in reference to someone who is not model thin, especially when they are wearing someone as simple as a bathing suit, or bikini, or tight shorts or a small top. And when asked why, a typical response is "Because no one wants to see that!" 

Really? So this complete stranger should stop wearing what they feel comfortable and confident in because YOU don't want to see "that"? 
And what are we really talking about when we say "We don't want to see that!"? 
Let's talk about what you are actually seeing. You are seeing someone's skin, for the most part. 
Is skin gross to you? Really think about that. You have skin. You don't think that is gross, do you? Everyone has skin. It is necessary to human existence. It is vital. 
It is what the outside world sees of us. 
How on earth could you not want to see someone's skin? 
Would you prefer to see their insides? Their veins and bones and muscles? Is that more appealing to you? 

Another thing that could be referenced is their fat. And let's again talk about what we are actually "grossed out" about. Everyone has fat, or they should. Fat (in the right amounts) is healthy. I have to advise you to watch this video by Laci Green about body policing others. It is brilliant and honest.



And take a look at these paintings. 


Do the people in this paintings gross you out? My guess is probably not. 
Then why would these? 

(This last one is Pierce Brosnan's wife, by the way.)

 It's bodies. Human bodies. They are not "gross", they do not need to be hidden. 
They accomplish incredible things. They are all beautifully made and we should praise them and respect them instead of judging them and hiding them. 
They house our spirits, they are temples, and they should be treated as thus. 
They should be given healthy nutrients and should be active to keep their energy high and happy. 
We can adorned them in ways that outwardly express our inward selves. 
We can dye our hair any number of colors. We can wear wizard robes, skirts, blazers. 
We can become canvases and allow artist to paint all over us, we can put holes in our bodies. 
We can make the pigment of our skin darker.  We can do so much to adorn our bodies. 
We must love them, despite the media that plagues us from birth, that tells us we are not whole, that we have flaws, that we are not complete, that we are unsightly and need to be fixed. 
These are LIES. 
Lies constantly thrown at us in big and subtle ways by people that want our money. 
They do not truly care about how we feel about ourselves. They do not actually want us to feel good and happy with our bodies, because if we did, they could not make money. 
They do not have your best interest in mind. 
And you should never listen to anyone that does not have your best interest in mind

So, wear what you want. Do not change what makes you comfortable just because it makes someone else uncomfortable, because, really, their discomfort is completely unwarranted and baseless and illogical. 
Because if you asked them what bothered them so much about what you are wearing or not wearing, revealing or not revealing, and they really thought about it, I imagine they couldn't really put their finger on it or accurately and intelligently describe why it does bother them so much. 
"It just does." 
Like I said, their feelings are illogical. They just haven't realized it. 
They are carrying around messages from media and society and jumping to these thoughts and judgements without examining them for themselves, in depth, and seeing them for what they are, absolute bullshit.

 Love your skin, love your fat, love your body, love your temple, love your spirit, love yourself, and love everyone else's too. 

I think you are all beautiful. And I hope you think you are beautiful too. That is a sincere and deep hope. Please think you are beautiful.