Thursday, January 5, 2012

How Do You Measure Up?

by Jamie
A woman is often measured by the things she cannot control. She is measured by the way her body curves or doesn’t curve.  By where she is flat or straight or round.  she is measured by 36-24-36 and inches and ages and numbers.  By all the outside things that don’t ever add up to who she is on the inside.  And so if a woman is to be measured, let her be measured by the things she can control, by who she is and who she is trying to become because as every woman knows, measurements are only statistics and STATISTICS LIE. - Marilyn Monroe


On Tuesday I went to see My Week With Marilyn with my BFF, and in a word, it was AMAZING (You will definitely be seeing a Girl Crush post on Michelle Williams after this movie!). I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe. She was such a classic beauty and I admire what she stood for- a positive image for women.

My entire life, I have faced looking different. Now, granted I know I'm a hottie LOL. Hello I Look Good Today doesn't come from low self esteem! In all seriousness, I am realistic and I know that my body is different than my able bodied peers, but you know what, I'm OK with that.

I will never have the cut abs that I dream of having. Why? Well for starters, I don't have the strength to sit up by myself, so no crunches for this little lady (sigh). And to add to that, I was born with the curvature of the spine called lordosis. this is a curvature of the spine forward. So not only did I acquire scoliosis as a teen and now have a metal rod from my hips to my shoulders to keep my spine straight from curving to the right, my spine with the lordosis also curves forward. You might not be able to see it in pictures, but I have a little "pooch" not from being overweight, but rather because my spine pushes my tummy out.

It is because of women like Ms. Monroe who to me where a healthy body weight (Let's face it, the girl had curves), that I am so comfortable with who I am. As Will Smith said in Men in Black, "I make this look good!"

As this new year begins, I encourage you to look in the mirror each day and tell yourself, "I look good today" (and of course think of me when you do *wink*), and remember that true beauty cannot be measured by how tall you are or what your waistline is. True beauty comes from inside. Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic.

10 comments:

  1. HiLLjOJanuary 5, 2012 at 10:10 AM

    I wants to hug you. Thank you Jamie!

    And I do think about you when I tell myself those things in the mirror! ;o) I just love your attitude; no matter where you're sitting you're just a rockin' lady.

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  2. JamieJanuary 5, 2012 at 12:00 PM

    Awww Hillary you are such a sweetie. I'd love to give you a hug too!

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  3. FairyFiligreeJanuary 5, 2012 at 12:19 PM

    Reading your post makes me remember that not everybody is a 'perfect' silhouette and there are all shapes and sizes and conditions out there. It also makes me realise how restricted standard fashion guidelines can be. I have seen a couple of 'different' blogs out there from people who had different shapes and sizes to what we in the west consider the acceptable 'norm'. It's great to see that people such as yourself are open about their conditions and this can be an inspiration to us all. I also love Marilyn.... she was someone quite unique.

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  4. Ruth MadisonJanuary 5, 2012 at 1:36 PM

    Woo-hoo! Very uplifting post and what a lovely quote from Marilyn. I really want to see that movie.

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  5. JamieJanuary 5, 2012 at 3:29 PM

    I'm so happy to hear that you all are liking this post! I really enjoyed writing it!

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  6. Melissa BlakeJanuary 5, 2012 at 3:38 PM

    Jamie, this is fantastic!!! I can totally relate!

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  7. UnknownJanuary 5, 2012 at 5:22 PM

    Thanks for your comment. I like the quote from Marilyn but as the movie mentions, she had several insecurities which were evident with drug addiction. I also wasn't a fan of her playing up the blonde role, winking, using baby voice etc. Reminds me of Paris Hilton who claims she doesn't really talk like that.

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  8. JamieJanuary 5, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    Believe me Kimberlee, I know Marilyn had her faults and personal challenges. . .she didn't lose her life at an early age because she didn't have problems. However, I think that there are very admirable aspects of her personality and outlook (like the mentioned quote) that today's woman can learn from.

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  9. Content Director - Strong Female LeadersJanuary 5, 2012 at 5:59 PM

    Very honest message. Women are often considered accessories, and are judged by their appearances. As sad as it may be, certain men still think this way. That's why a lot of them do not like women in the industry, especially in tech industry. But times have changed, and are still changing because of cool, confident chicks like you :O)

    Keep up the wonderful job!

    http://www.thegirlieblog.com

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  10. JamieJanuary 5, 2012 at 6:09 PM

    Thanks Sweetie! I do agree that with the media and what is perceived to be beautiful, women sadly focus so much on their appearance that they can seriously end up hurting themselves. I won't lie, I care deeply about my appearance, but I also have the self confidence that just because I don't fit the cookie cutter standards of a runway model, I'm still just fine!

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