Monthly Archives: June 2013

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I should have been a sociologist. I love studying people- watching them, listening to conversations (even in languages I don’t understand), looking at photographs of people I don’t know…. people are fascinating to me. We have been moving so quickly lately from culture to culture- it is really cool to check out the similarities and differences, then move on and see something new the next day with everything still fresh in our minds. That being said- I felt compelled to write about body image. A large majority of the women in the south of France seem to be extremely confident with their bodies and comfortable in their own skin. It is so refreshing. In the states, you are bombarded on an hourly basis with unattainable images of women with huge boobs, teeny tiny waists and butts with nary a cellulitic dimple in sight!
I wish I could be like these women here! I am guilty of negative feelings about my body at times (I’m no spring chicken and I’ve had three kids, blah, blah, blah.) I taught barre classes when I lived in Manhattan Beach (if you want a killer workout in a fun atmosphere – go see Angela Bennett at FitOn Studio on Sepulveda. Tell her Kim sent you!) So I understand the desire to want to be fit, healthy and to feel and look good. What I don’t understand is the desire to look twenty or thirty years younger than you are. A 50 year old woman trying to look 20- inevitably looks weird.
I totally agree with the adages ‘to each their own’ and ‘whatever floats your boat’ and it is a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body- Botox, boob jobs, etc. But there is something so fantastic about watching women on these topless and fully nude beaches (yes, they have those here in France) where they embrace their bodies and the stories they tell. You can see that security in their daughters and granddaughters, too. What a wonderful gift to pass on. How much wasted energy is spent during a lifetime worrying if we ate too many carbs last week? So lame!
It reminds me of other blog posts I have written about image. Image is ultimately fake. It is just what appears on the outside. Anyone can put lipstick on a pig or polish a turd, but in the end it still is what it is. 🙂
I’m so happy I can jump, run and climb. We should be thankful of that every day, right?! We should make sure we feel really good on the inside, then work on the outside. Show girls and other women that there are SO many things in the world far more important than our looks. The most beautiful people I have ever met, shine from the inside out. Does that sound cheesebally? Sure it does but I don’t care.
Now go out there and shake what yo’ mama gave you!!!!! (Enjoy the images below of women doing just that!)