Occasionally, I miss
Seattle. I lived there on and off for about seven years. I don’t get to the city much anymore, but after a recent trip there, I felt nostalgic. So, imagine my happy surprise when I got an offer for
Seattle Magazine for free. I thought what a nice way to keep in touch with the pulse, issues, and happenings of the city, so I signed up.
However, what I thought Seattle Magazine was supposed be, wasn’t correct. I got my first issue recently and it was a slick, glossy, carefully produced lifestyle magazine complete with a massive amount of Seattle restaurants reviews, wine articles, fashion, home entertaining, shopping, and a small amount of events. Some of the magazine content was terrific (the restaurant reviews) and some of it, well, wasn’t too interesting to me. But the magazine’s content is not what stood out to me. Literally every other expensive FULL PAGE ad was about expensive cosmetic dentistry and all kinds of plastic surgery.
What?
Now, I know that I haven’t been connected much with the city, but Seattle never struck me as fake teeth and surgically altered perfect body and face kind of town. What am I missing here? I did think that perhaps the frequent image ads were meant to appeal to the affluent Seattle suburbs; however, even so, I still didn’t think this area was particularly rampant with nips and tucks. Am I wrong?
Of course, I don’t see Grit City swimming in a sea of Botox.
Right?
11 comments:
We are fixated on looking perfect. Pierce County, King County, my room-- so many of us need to have attention that a little cut here and there, in these days and times, seem appropriate, practical, reasonable.
Tragic though, because the real beauty (which we all have) is ourselves as we are...
Joseph
Hello my friend.
Oh, I agree with you.I always thought that my little corner of the world wasn't particularly caught up in that stuff--naive, I know. Guess the modern world came a-knockin' when I wasn't paying attention.
I think folks have the right to do that kind of thing, if they want to. My hope is that they are very clear WHY they are doing it.Then perhaps they will realize what's really going on.
When I was growing up in Seattle and Bellevue, we had to explain where it was. The 1962 World's Fair put Seattle on the map for the nation, but many of us had relatives hesitant to come for the fair because they believed that we were frequently engaged in conflicts with the local Native Americans! Although much of what I loved about Seattle remains, it has become something quite different and Bellevue unrecognizable. I miss the old Seattle that did not take itself so seriously and was not so fixated on material things.
The ad of which you speak is symptomatic of the general fixation Americans have for youth and beauty, mistaking their ego for the real person within.
Stephanie:
Okay, I am on the same plane, different years. I guess I thought this area was simply immune to that stuff. Clearly, I still did! Okay, I'll be the first to admit, I do use good skin care products, I exercise, I care about how I look. But, you know what? I won't have anybody cut on me. And hey, if folks think I look bad or yucky, so be it. Aren't we supposed to get old?
Kim
Yes darlin'...I believe we are supposed to get old...and you can just call me Missus Natural (old hippies will get the reference!) as I begin to feel gravity's pull!
I'm frightened by the eerie porcelain doll look that takes all movement and expression from the face...or the clown look of twenty-something make-up on elders who don't see the beauty of the journey because Madison Ave. sells only youth and sex.
Kim, you already have the greatest "make-up tools" in your sense of humour and wonderful Aloha kindness. You will always be beautiful.
It's too bad folks who make sure every hair is in place and make-up perfect, don't always check their spirits in the mirror before heading out that door.
Hola, Lorraine:
Golly, gee whiz, you surely know how to make a lady feel great about herself. Thanks for your kind words. I think I'd like to create a movement--maybe a holiday. Check Your Spirit Day.
Who's on board?
Kim
I'm in Kim! Just stitched my spirit back together last week!
Checklist for Mirror:
1/ Sparkle of unconditional love in the eyes...with a twinkle of mischief in the corner...we ain't angels yet!
2/ Smile of acceptance at our common predicament.
3/ Note ratio of two ears to one mouth...use accordingly.
4/ Laugh-lines proudly home-made.
5/ Heart on sleeve.
6/ BIG LIZA MINNELLI FAKE EYELASHES! No...wait...that's a different checklist!
OMG!
I love it! That's it! It's a holiday! A proclaimed holiday! I like the first day of spring--renewal.
Let's add:
1. Think about one thing that you are grateful for.
2. Hug yourself. Hug others. Tell people you love/like them.
It's a grassroots movement!
I certainly agree...being grateful is such a key to our choice of happiness. I can be having the absolute worst day...but, if I begin my litany of thank yous for what I DO have...I run out of sadness before I run out of things to be grateful for.
No one has a perfect body!
Kim, I love the Check Your Spirit Day. You have your priorities straight, girl.
Stephanie
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