My van stalled at Rachel's school the other day and we were forced to wander around waiting for help. At one point, several girls surrounded Paul because he's so dern adorable and cute and well-behaved. And once he starts with his alien jabber, no one can resist his charms.
There was one girl in this little bunch in her cheerleader outfit. Little skinny girl. Not unhealthy skinny, just cheerleader skinny. I recognized who she was from a previous sleepover that I dropped Rachel off at and I had been told her story. She was on a very strict diet due to the fact that she was apparently overweight in her younger years (the girl is,what, 15?). Nutritionist and parent monitored.
Okay, I have no problems with getting your kids healthy if they are overweight. And it's probably a great thing that the parents went to a nutritionist instead of putting the girl on some fad diet. And to be totally honest, had I not known this little tidbit of information, along with a few more that I don't need to share, I might not have thought twice about the following.
The girl had 12 bobby pins in her hair plus 2 barrettes. The top of her hair was pulled into a little ponytail at the back with the signature white ribbon that all cheerleaders seem to possess. And 12 bobby pins. Plus 2 barrettes. Four of those bobby pins were used to keep that ribbon in perfect bow formation. Two of the bobby pins were used below the bow to keep her hair from puffing out. The rest were all jammed around the front of her head with the barrettes, I guess to keep flyaways from flying away.
All this effort for cheerleading practice after school. Not a game. Not a major event. Just your everyday practice.
And if I had to wager a guess, when that girl looks in the mirror, she only sees flaws. She probably doesn't notice that she's a cute girl with a pretty face. And that she would still be cute with a few flyaways that all us gals have when we pull our hair back. Heck, she'd probably be cute with her hair like Cousin It.
How long is it going to take her to get a decent self-image? Will she still be this way in her 20s and even later in life? Will at some point when some boy or friend rejects her, will she crumble instead of survive?
Man, you could not pay me enough to be 15 again. Ick.
I wish that more people were like Charlie. When she looks in the mirror she doesn't see dirt, ravioli sauce, or even her uneven haircut she just sees beauty. I pray she never loses that. Who ever said that high school is the best years of your life was crazy. Besides, I have been told that flyaways are pretty cute.
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