Indecent Exposure

I've had a particular topic on my mind recently, and I thought maybe if I write about it I could gain some clarity. So many girls today, particularly from the ages of 11-25, have no respect for themselves. That is really the only conclusion I can come to when I see these girls in toxic relationships, being promiscuous, and tearing each other down. There has recently been a fad in society where teenage girls are obsessed with vampires. According to the dictionary, a vampire is a preternatural being who preys ruthlessly on others; said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night. But my argument here isn't really against "Twilight" or any other vampire books. My argument is against girls who don't set their sights higher...who don't value themselves enough to want better. I see thirteen year old girls today dress in ways that I wouldn't dream of dressing at twenty-one! I find myself wondering if these girls have parents who look at them before they leave the house in the morning to see the atrocity that they are wearing. I don't care who you are-- girls are not supposed to be "sexy" at an age when they hardly even understand their own thoughts, much less the thoughts of other people. To put it bluntly, I'm outraged. Outraged at the message these girls are sending to boys, outraged that these girls care more about being sexy than being intelligent or classy, and I'm outraged that their parents either don't care or aren't bold enough to tell their children "no".

I also don't understand why these girls insist on tearing each other down. It's like a contest to see who can say the meanest thing. I've witnessed this horror first hand. A few weeks ago I overheard two girls telling another girl that nobody likes her, and that she isn't good at anything. They said this TO HER FACE (not that it would be any better if they had said it behind her back)!! WHY would anyone want to go through life making someone else's life miserable? Isn't there enough suffering without adding to it in such a hateful and thoughtless way? I recently read an article on the Eliza Magazine Blog that touched on the subject of women letting petty differences get in the way of being friends. (The article digresses a bit from this topic, but it's a fun little read anyway...). If we would spend even half the energy building each other up as we do tearing each other down, can you imagine the wonderful results? When you think of all of the judgemental and nasty things we not only say but also think on a daily basis, it's pretty staggering.

So, my challenge for all of you this week is 1.) respect and value yourself! It will show in how you carry yourself and how you let others treat you, and 2.) be kind, considerate, respectful, and polite to others! I can guarantee that those people will notice the difference.