Watching “America the Beautiful” was a great way to end such a thought provoking class. I think out of everything we’ve watched/learned, this video made me the saddest. And in all, it makes me wonder how I can find balance. I enjoy looking nice (i.e. beautiful); but the pursuit of beauty is neverending. Its an almost unattainable goal. I can always find something wrong if I look hard enough. And that’s sad – especially because there are so many women out there with this same affliction: always trying to keep up with the beauty Joneses.
I don’t want to complete give up my desire to look good. After all, valuing the way you look plays a role in our self-esteem whether or not we like it. And honestly, I feel better when I look better (because I’m not worried about whether or not I can hold my own against the woman standing next to me).
But at the same time, I’m always trying to make sure I don’t go overboard. That I don’t get overly-concerned with my looks. It’s a hard balance: trying to look good without trying too hard to look good (haha). But I think for the most part, I’ve managed to find some sort of sanity. I don’t spend hours and countless dollars trying to look perfect. And I’ve even come to love some of my imperfections. For example, my hair in the front has a tendency to stand up like I’m some sort of cartoon character. This used to really bother me. But now, I just laugh and say its my hair’s attempt to say “hello” to the world. 
On a related note, I came across this opinion article in the New York Times: “Bo-Tax Backlash.” I think it adds a similiar demension to this past class discussion.
