We have all wanted to be that blonde, tan, flawless girl at the beach. The one strutting around in her bikini and catching the attention of every male within a five-mile radius. We know her, and we are jealous of her, but why should we be? Society places a pressure on women today to be "perfect," from keeping thin and perfectly applying our makeup to acting the "right" way around guys and talking in a way that actually makes us seem slightly dumber.
A young man (maybe the word boy would be more appropriate for his level of maturity) recently told me we should stop talking because I was "too big" for him. And for a split second I actually let that get to me. I let him make me think that I needed to hit the gym immediately and go on some crazy diet. Then, I actually stopped to think about the situation. I decided THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD. Why would I want to impress someone who can't look past someone's exterior into the true person that they are. I am a successful and smart college student who is actually very happy with herself and has an incredible amount of confidence (usually). I have become very happy with myself and how I look. Sure, like any girl would be, I am now motivated to take better care of myself and my body, but my life will not revolve around what he has decided to very rudely tell me.
We say the ideal woman is this gorgeous, tall, skinny airhead that would probably have actually listened to what I was told. The real ideal woman is someone who stands up for herself. She is someone who has goals and beliefs and does her best to achieve those goals and stand up for her values and ideals every day. She would never back down from her morals, and she would go to the ends of the world to be the best she can be for those who love and support her.
An ideal woman, the woman I want to be, is someone who loves her fellow humans to the point that it is painful. My role models are women like successful, single mother J.K. Rowling, who strives to make a difference through social, moral, and political inspiration. I would rather not look up to Nicki Minaj and the Jenner girls because I know that is not the type of person I would want my own children to look up to.
Our society has placed far too much emphasis on appearances. Pinterest is covered in "thinspo" posts that serve no purpose other than to motivate girls to lose weight and be skinny. The celebrities that we idolize are constantly in the spotlight for their weight, haircut, and plastic surgery. Why can't we put people in the spotlight who have impacted the world positively through their actions and not by the latest trend they have started?
It is a vicious cycle that we cannot get out of because of people like the young man who decided to call me big, and that is truly sad. If the people around us stop putting all of their focuses on looks and redirected their attention to actual achievements and progress, I think we would have a much more productive and happy society.
