I’m tired of the “All Bodies are Beautiful” rhetoric.
Why? There’s still the goddamned pressure to think of yourself as beautiful above anything else.
Am I beautiful? As in photogenic?
Hell no.
Does that mean I feel badly about my looks?
Not unless I have to deal with some asshole deciding to be mean to me because I’m not beautiful, and therefore need to be punished for it in his eyes.
And that’s exactly the point. If we do the “all bodies are beautiful” thing, what we’re really saying is that beauty is the most important value to have, and trying to make people who aren’t physically beautiful focus on that as the important value.
I’m not beautiful. And you know what? That’s okay. It’s cool for people who are, and goodness knows they should enjoy it. I enjoy being smart. I enjoy being determined. I enjoy that partners find me attractive. (Beauty and charisma are two very different things. Charisma is a skill, and yes, I can turn that on if I want to). I am blessed with a strong, agile body and I love that.
Do I like my body?
Good heavens, YES! I am an extremely physical person and yes, I like my body. I love the way it feels when I pull through the water during a swim. I love the agility of my fingers as I knit. I love dancing and letting my body and mind merge with music. I love the way I can use facial expressions to communicate volumes without saying a word. I love the feel of well-tailored fabric and admire the way good clothes move with my body.
I love these things independent of any aesthetic view of my body, and it takes the pressure off to be goddamned “beautiful” all the time.
‘Cause, come on, I’ve got stuff to do!
