Can all the REAL GIRLS please stand up?? Now before you start writing
me off let me break it down. When I say REAL GIRLS, I am not referring to the
picture perfect, fliter free gorgeous being we follow on instagram and secretly
wish we could steal a fraction of her beauty nor am I referring to the thick
madam whose anaconda don’t cause she’s “all about that base”. When I say REAL
GIRL , I’m talking about that girl that can’t post a “I woke up like this”
selfie because she has puffy eyes that require immediate attention before even
letting the sunlight in not forgetting the
drool tracings on her cheek that remind her that as much as she’s grown
up, there are some things her inner child just won’t let go of.
It’s quite funny how life has changed how we perceive ourselves as girls,
ladies and even women because all of a sudden we have to fit into a box and
play into life’s “thinya thanya” game because it’s either you are Team
YellowBone or Team whatever bone, Team skinny or Team PHat. When did we become
a generation that places beauty and outward appearance above everything else?
If we not for one team, we have to be degrading someone else because they don’t
fit into that box. Don’t blame media on this because as much as media plays its
role, it all boils down to us.
Have you noticed how we look at ourselves in such a critical manner and when I
say critical, I put emphasis on the negative connotations because I don’t know
about you but in my years of growing up especially during my puberty years, I
don’t think I have ever passed a mirror, looked at myself (cause what else is a
girl supposed to do) and not said something negative about myself and honestly
it hurts. We say guys always find something negative to say about girls but
have you ever thought at how many of those very things we say about other girls
or even about OURSELVES. You can’t expect someone to love you if you can’t look
at yourself in the mirror, say I love me and ACTUALLY believe it.
I’m privileged to have younger sisters and see how society’s ideology of beauty
has created a painful domino effect on our generation. It’s easy to brush off
the stereotypes when it’s on us but when you see a young 16 year old girl say
to themselves that they wish they were prettier, skinner or even lighter then
you know that something needs to be done to repaint this picture.
Okay so you don’t have the fairest skin,
you have stripes longer than the river Nile and you can’t wear shorts without
spotting a couple of dimples on your thighs. SO WHAT??? Baby girl, you are ART.
. . your dimples, scars and stripes are stories engraved to show the world that
the human body isn’t supposed to look
nice , it was supposed to make you feel something because you are BEAUTIFULLY
FLAWED.
Third week
of December and either you are recovering from the weekend’s festivities and
planning the rest of your Turn Ups or like some of us just simply being
swallowed by the couch and couldn't be bothered at how many re-runs you've
watch because you are making up for the months you've missed the actual
Generations. Now don’t get me wrong, this isn't some “let’s feel guilty for the
girl who can’t go out” post but rather something to ponder on. Let’s face it
whenever we think of December, we think of the endless parties we just simply
HAVE to go to and even start saving for them because it is the norm but is this
really what the festive season has come to, turning up till the break of dawn,
nursing the possible headache and going at it again like some routine because
we are making up for the months we slaved over those large textbooks and
endless words that left us questioning our purpose in varsity all in after all
“ke December boss”. I get it, we deserve a break to just put our feet up, drink
sundowners and toast to the years work but to turn up, blow cash on alcohol and
basically have nothing but a pot belly and empty pockets to show for it? How’s
about twisting things a bit and when I say try something different I don’t mean
stop drinking and become what we call a “party pooper” but how’s about explore
other things the festive season has to offer. We complain about how we can’t
afford to travel and end up dreaming about the places we would like to see
instead of actually making a plan to fulfill those dreams, I mean imagine using
the cash you spent of drinking and turning up on a trip to Cape Town or even
Swaziland. Yes travelling during this time is pretty expensive and partying
seems like a simpler solution and I’m not saying it’s a bad thing but trying new
experiences also brings forth the same results if not better without having you
piecing out last night’s puzzle. Think about it, our parents and even
grandparents didn't have the opportunities to travel as freely as we do so why
not explore the world, try new things and learn new experiences. I mean it was
a alil embarrassing for me to hear how my GRANDMOTHER of 60something and her
close friend who’s pretty cool for an 80something year old “living the nice
life”(her words, not mine) and trying new things while I was coped up in my
room, staring at my screen. I mean it doesn't have to be extravagant but a
simple visit to a historical site like Vilakazi Street or even a hike up God’s
Window and if you daring bungee jumping at the Moses Mabida stadium, that’s all
it takes to make your holiday alil different. Take the rest if December as a
month to explore, learn and simply experience after all you are only young
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