Didn’t do your makeup today? Post it. Have Mount Saint Helen on your forehead? Post it. Did the person before you upload a fresh outfit while you are still in sweatpants? Post it. We are stuck in an age, all generations included, where perfection is praised but never failure. When in fact, failure is success in progress. For most who know me, I hate selfies…like actually hate them. From my point of view, I feel like it screams “Look at me!! Aren’t I pretty!?” After recently discovering that it’s okay to be comfortable in your own skin, I post one. Yep. I posted a no-makeup, sweatshirt-ed, selfie. Filter, of course. While that action may be a daily routine for some people, for me, it was a big deal because I discovered more than how to crop a photo.
The First Hour
My work day was filled with a stressful agenda so I decided, “Look good, feel good.” Right? I’m currently working-from-home so the term “look good” means showering, changing into my favorite sweatshirt and MAYBE fill in my eyebrows. I went a little extra special and curled my hair to remember if I knew how. Near the end of the day, I felt accomplished. I hosted a webinar without several hiccups (just two!) and my computer has not crashed from the overload of Adobe systems. Knock on wood! I was wearing a classic sweatshirt which made my attitude complete, Sooper Dooper. For those reading who are not from Winner, South Dakota, it’s an old grocery store that holds fond memories of childhood and terrors from being a first paycheck. Anyways, I felt that sitting a camera on a lamp and setting the self-timer wouldn’t be considered a selfie. So, I rigged up my homemade tripod, smiled and snapped the picture. I thought, “This sweater reveals hometown memories. I have to show the world what I’ve found in the closet.” Filter here. Caption there. Likes start streaming in with a few comments about the sweater until my cousin uploads her supportive words of “okay selfie queen”. Ope, I’ve done it. I’ve officially uploaded a selfie.
Hours After
As the photo gained popularity, most importantly among some exes, I tried to strategize how to expose this as not a selfie. I’m an opinionated person who is notorious for standing by my word. With a reputation for hating selfies and the attention they bring, I’ve fallen back on my once credible word. For some reason, I didn’t hit delete.
The Morning After
If you’ve read any of my other blogs, I base my actions on my religious views. I try to remain optimistic in a time of uncertainty and gloom. It wasn’t until the morning after that I realized why God let me upload a selfie (even if I don’t think it’s a selfie if you can see two hands). Mark 12:31 “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” This morning as I scroll through my Instagram feed it’s flooded with old vacation pics, memes and the most popular: at-home selfies. While some girls and boys, doll up their face and put on a new outfit from Shein others are bare faced and scrubbed out. From the outside, you see totally different perspectives while on the inside we are suffering through the same pandemic and loneliness. I think it’s ironic how this pandemic has turned our insides out, on a daily basis and through emotion. You always hear the saying, “Be nice. You never know what someone else is going through.” While that is still true, more so than ever before, someone’s appearance can hide their suffering or success.
How does that all tie into my annoyance for selfies? First, we should all have the self-confidence to empower each other. Second, we should not compare ourselves to other people because we are neighbors. We need each other’s differences to bring us together. Finally, take the damn selfie, slap on a filter, and show the world your beautiful smile. We could use a little positivity right now.
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