It all started with a selfie

A couple of weeks ago I included a picture of myself in a very short post entitled- I can't believe that- where I talked a little about the fact that Aunt Susi and Dani made me learn to "take the perfect selfie". (By the way my "selfie" was far from perfect). Dani seen an article about it that included "the ten steps to taking a perfect selfie". When she started reading it to us all I could say was- Seriously? You need ten whole steps? She of course told me to hush and continued reading. After they practiced and practiced they bugged and poked me until I finally gave in and took one too. I had to follow all of her "steps" and we all had to upload the very first one that we took to our social network. I know, right? I have a social network. Even though I'm not really social. Ironic. Anyways, she made us go into the bathroom, shut the door, angle ourselves and try our best. Well, my best is not very good when it comes to the "selfie". I almost dropped my phone into the toilet, I smashed my head on the mirror, I about knocked the shelf down and I cussed under my breath about fourteen times. And I was only in there a couple of minutes. After all was said and done we uploaded to SM. All I can say is the steps must really work when you follow them to a T, because I'm pretty sure that Dani's turned out the best.

{{Selfie: A type of self portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand held digital camera or camera phone. They are associated with social networking. they are often casual, are typically taken with a camera held at arms length or in a mirror, and typically include either only the photographer or the photographer and as many people as can be in focus. selfies taken that involve multiple people are known as "group selfies". The pathological condition for selfie addiction is known as selfieism. They are easy to create and share, and gives the photographer the power.}}

Who would have thought that they actually have a name for people addicted to taking selfies? Actually the real question is- Who the hell is addicted to taking selfies? I think that Cricket might be actually. She's all the time snapping photos of herself. By the way, when did we start using the term selfie and stop using the term photo? Just thought I'd ask. Well, ever since that day I have been "practicing" on occasion, because I think that it's hilarious. I don't keep the good ones and discard the ones that I look tired, scared, rough, bad, hoboish, or anything though. I keep and upload the good, the bad, and the ugly. Power to the people!

Society puts far too much pressure on young adults, girls and boys to look a certain way, dress a certain way, and act a certain way. What ever happened to individuality? I am my own person and I will be damned if I'm going to let someone make me feel bad for that. If we were all supposed to be exactly the same we would all be one size, one shape, one height, one weight, one color, one gender, one everything. How boring would life be then? I myself have always been a very self conscience person. Always secretly worried about my weight, how I look, how I talk, everything. Just like every other girl on this planet at some point or another. But probably in the last year or so I have come into my own. I have learned to accept myself and love me just for me. Flaws and all. Do I think that I'm gorgeous and runway model ready? Absolutely not. But you know what? I am me and I love it. I can love me with my flaws, because you know what? They're not flaws, they are just the bits and pieces that work together to form character. And character, my friend, is what we really are made of. You just need to love you for you.

Here's what I have to say about it to all the girls/women who don't think that they're pretty and/or good enough:

Hey, I am a normal girl. I am 24 years old. Do you know what that means? Mid-twenties, that's what that means. I'm no where near perfection. I get blemishes and dry skin. My teeth aren't perfectly straight and scary white. I'm not rail thin and I wear flannel like there's no tomorrow. I have a dimple in my chin and I wear boots like they don't make any other shoes. I wear glasses and have bad hair days. My Momma is my best friend and I haven't dated anyone in over a year and a half. My face gets oily and my feet swell up. I have stretch marks and scars, and I sometimes walk on the outsides of my feet. When I smile my mouth is lopsided and almost always one of my eyes partially closes. I eat like a grown man and drink sweet tea like I'll never get anymore ever again. My mascara runs and I randomly break out into song and dance. Neither of which are good. I trip and fall and talk a little too loud. When I get to laughing I can't stop. I have freckles. I can't tan, because I only burn and there are days when I don't get out of my sweatpants. I don't wear make-up everyday and when I do it's very little. I have to pluck my eyebrows and shave my legs. My nails are not painted and sometimes I get sick and puny. I am shy and bashful, and blush all the time. But I'm also open minded and opinionated. I have allergies and sometimes my lisp comes back. I don't see the point in curling the back of my hair and I take enough vitamins to choke a horse. Needless to say- I AM A MESS. I am a big ole mess. There is no way around it, it's a fact. And the fact is- I am perfectly ok with it.

I don't care if someone doesn't like the way I look, talk, act, feel, or the way that I am in general. Because I love me, and I'm the one that has to live with myself. I refuse to live my life for others that don't care about me, and I will not make myself miserable to please those people either. There is no reason to make someone feel bad about themselves, because somehow you are unhappy within yourself. There is no reason to look down on someone, because you feel that you are better than them. No one person is any better than another.

Do I care if you're big? Small? Tall? Short? Tan? Pale? Wear glasses? Dress crazy? Have flaws? No, I do not, because I have those flaws to. I love the person that I am, but even I have those days of self doubt where I question everything about myself, but then I think on it and realize that I am happy. I am the happiest that I have been in a very long time. And it's because of the love that I have around me. I surround myself with the positive and avoid the negative, because no one needs negativity. I surround myself with the love of my Momma, my brother, the rest of my family that I'm close to, my friends (near and far), my puppy, and myself. I have things that happen and go wrong, everyone has bad things happen, but it's how you deal with these things that shows your true colors.

I will not, can not, and positively won't judge someone else for their flaws, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or the status of their bank account. It is not going to happen. If someone accepts me for the person that I am, then I will accept them. Because this girl ain't changing and she's not going anywhere. Who would've thought that all of this would have come to me, because of a selfie?