Jessica's Blog
Monday, April 14, 2008
It's Called A Beautiful Letdown ~*~ Only to Someone Else
Friday was shopping day (yes, it's taking me this long to post a happening!). The grocery shopping is sort of my job, sometimes Mom does it, but it's usually me who does the that and any extra errands. I like the job, it's a fun outing, and sometimes I can squeeze in going to the library to get a movie, a Starbucks, or maybe a quick stop at the crafts store! Generally, I take at least a couple of kids with me, if I'm really feeling peppy I'll take all seven! Mike comes of course, he's always my favorite shopping "buddy"!
On the way home, we stopped at Target for something extra. Another fun stop anyway, Mike and I like to go there to look for movies. We got our stuff and got in line. There were two girls in front of us. I couldn't help but listen to their conversation...
The one girl was relating her "guy" problems to the other. She had quite a few, probably from juggling too many guys. The other girl listened intently, related her similar problems right back. I started observing little comparisons, between those two girls and me. Both of them looked as though they had been to the tanning salon several times already, their nails were perfectly Frenched, hair looked as though the wind wasn't blowing at all that day. Tons of gaudy make-up, I think half of their lip mass was painted on. From everything else, I figured that they were on their way to a party. Both of them reeked of cigarette smoke. Which was sad in itself, neither of them looked older then 18-19 years old. Their whole appearance, everything from the way that they dressed, to what they had on their face, conveyed everything that was self-centered... it was clear that they only had them to worry about.
I smiled when I looked down at my nails, hacked off the day before so I could do my embroidery work and bread baking without the pain of long nails. Did I envy those girls? No, not one little bit. I was thinking on the way home of all of the things I noticed, and I thought out loud when I told my brother that I was glad I wasn't like either of them.
Of course I'm a girly-girl, I do my hair everyday, and wear make-up, and paint my nails, toe nails included. I do everything that makes me just look like, well a girl! But there are distinct differences in just making your self look like a girl, and trying to make yourself into something like that.
I know sometimes people look at me and wonder why I am still here. Occasionally even talk to me as if I can't stand being in the house with so many children, regardless of how much they know I love them. They know all of that, but when am I going to get out and take care of me? Well, never.
I was thankful that God never gave me the opportunity to become that way. I'm glad that I'm not a "party girl". I like my short nails and the fact that I can go outside and get my hands dirty. I love taking all of my brothers and sisters with me to the grocery store and the library.
I love being here, and like looking like a "worked" girl. I don't want my hands to look as if they had never seen a dish brush, or had never been stabbed a few times with a sewing needle, or burned taking dinner out of the oven. I don't care if my hair isn't sprayed perfectly into place because I have been chasing kids all over creation.
I'm thankful that I don't have "guy" problems. The only guy I will ever have is going to be a "Mr." and I am going to be the "Mrs.". If girls looked at dating and guys that way, they wouldn't have to stand in line and consult on what do do with harry, moe and mac all at one time.
My idea of a wild night is to stay home and drink my chamomile tea and watch my corny British comedies! In the end, thank you God for making me what I am.
~*~Jessica~*~
On the way home, we stopped at Target for something extra. Another fun stop anyway, Mike and I like to go there to look for movies. We got our stuff and got in line. There were two girls in front of us. I couldn't help but listen to their conversation...
The one girl was relating her "guy" problems to the other. She had quite a few, probably from juggling too many guys. The other girl listened intently, related her similar problems right back. I started observing little comparisons, between those two girls and me. Both of them looked as though they had been to the tanning salon several times already, their nails were perfectly Frenched, hair looked as though the wind wasn't blowing at all that day. Tons of gaudy make-up, I think half of their lip mass was painted on. From everything else, I figured that they were on their way to a party. Both of them reeked of cigarette smoke. Which was sad in itself, neither of them looked older then 18-19 years old. Their whole appearance, everything from the way that they dressed, to what they had on their face, conveyed everything that was self-centered... it was clear that they only had them to worry about.
I smiled when I looked down at my nails, hacked off the day before so I could do my embroidery work and bread baking without the pain of long nails. Did I envy those girls? No, not one little bit. I was thinking on the way home of all of the things I noticed, and I thought out loud when I told my brother that I was glad I wasn't like either of them.
Of course I'm a girly-girl, I do my hair everyday, and wear make-up, and paint my nails, toe nails included. I do everything that makes me just look like, well a girl! But there are distinct differences in just making your self look like a girl, and trying to make yourself into something like that.
I know sometimes people look at me and wonder why I am still here. Occasionally even talk to me as if I can't stand being in the house with so many children, regardless of how much they know I love them. They know all of that, but when am I going to get out and take care of me? Well, never.
I was thankful that God never gave me the opportunity to become that way. I'm glad that I'm not a "party girl". I like my short nails and the fact that I can go outside and get my hands dirty. I love taking all of my brothers and sisters with me to the grocery store and the library.
I love being here, and like looking like a "worked" girl. I don't want my hands to look as if they had never seen a dish brush, or had never been stabbed a few times with a sewing needle, or burned taking dinner out of the oven. I don't care if my hair isn't sprayed perfectly into place because I have been chasing kids all over creation.
I'm thankful that I don't have "guy" problems. The only guy I will ever have is going to be a "Mr." and I am going to be the "Mrs.". If girls looked at dating and guys that way, they wouldn't have to stand in line and consult on what do do with harry, moe and mac all at one time.
My idea of a wild night is to stay home and drink my chamomile tea and watch my corny British comedies! In the end, thank you God for making me what I am.
~*~Jessica~*~
Friday, February 1, 2008
Hollywood Gone Feminist~*~
I noticed something yesterday that I had never noticed or thought of before. Father of the Bride (the 1995 version with Steve Martin) somehow temporarily made it's way into the VCR yesterday afternoon, I thought 'Oh, I haven't seen that in a while'. Thinking about the movie for a minute, I realized the difference between the old version and the new one. In the old Father of the Bride (with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor), Kay (Annie in the new one) was just going to get married and be a wife and a mother. I couldn't exactly recall if that was stated in the movie, or if it was just assumed by the watcher. No, after I thought about it, it was just assumed by the watcher that Kay did not have a career to worry about... she was 'just' getting married. I don't even think that the movie was done where she had an interest in one, or talked about it in any part of the movie at all.Inevitably, the movie was remade, but what was the big change? The bride was suddenly a career woman. She wasn't going to quit or stop going to school simply because she was going to have a husband to take care of. In fact, that was a big worry on the parents part that she would end up stuck with a freelance working husband and four kids with nothing on her part.
Fast forward to the sequel of the newer version when Annie has her first baby, again what was the worry? That they were saddling themselves with a kid before her career had 'taken off'. To top the storyline, Annie is not only not going to stay home to take of her new baby (movie goers would cringe at the thought of that), she was offered a higher position, which was going to be the start the career she had always dreamed of.
I found the comparison very interesting. Back in the 1950's, unless a woman was a single mother, no one ever thought of a woman having a career outside of her home and marriage. That movie was a good old-fashioned comedy. After 40 or so years go by, it's no longer 'interesting' to the average audience to watch a girl get married and be JUST a wife and a mother. No, now they need to cater to the society that has come, the age of the woman in the office. After mentally scanning some old versions vs. new versions of movies, I found the same thing.
Again, I went down a quick list of movies that have come out within the last year, and in at least 90% of them, the central female character has a career ( if not an 'excellent' one), has her kids in school, or is single and just has a great job, is very very pretty, very well educated, ultra independent with a smart mouth. Or even worse, she is a half naked something-or-another-with-a-gun running around with a body so filled with muscles you'd think it was a man and not a woman. Those are just things in some of the movies that I have noticed, but you get the general idea.
Some of the best old shows done were based on the events of a woman in the house. One of my favorites, I Love Lucy. Even though Lucy sometimes thought that she wanted a job outside of the home, what did Ricky say he wanted? A wife to come home to, and a Mother for his children. I love all of those old shows....
~*~Jessica~*~
