Monday, April 2, 2012

Even Supermodels Grow Old

by Janielle Beh on Monday, March 12, 2012 at 5:57pm ·

I once saw a beautiful lady walking pass me. She was tall and fair, and she had the air of a model about her. Her eyes were bright and immediately engaging, and she strutted past me with her head held high. All that aside, the thing that struck me most were the unmistakable wrinkles on her face. She was no longer the youthful beauty she had once been. I could see that she still went to great lengths to preserve the beauty of her youth, and she still had the outward confidence of a model. But the passing of age was clearly an inevitable influence.

It struck me then that people ACTUALLY grow old. I mean, when you're at my age, still young, the idea of growing old actually doesn't come across very often. You often forget this simple, unavoidable fact of life. Gotta admit, it's a rather unpleasant thought.

People nowadays worship the hollywood stars and the perfection of the girls on glossy magazines. But we often forget that those are MERELY externals. What are these people like in reality? Without the make up, without the brushstrokes of photoshop editing, without the heels and accessories, without their grammy awards and accolades? Who is the person within?

I am always interested in the person, the true individual beneath the surface layer. That's why it never fails to irk me when I see people 'hang out' or get drunk together, but never talk about the things that matter to them. You never get to know people truly if you just focus on the externals and on the trivialities of life. I mean, that's unavoidable, but you also need to delve into the other more vital half of the person and talk about the things that the person cares about.

What do people have to show for apart from their looks? I know, its inevitable that the world looks for good looks. And I am not against that. I am not against make up or looking good. I'm merely saying, if you take all that away, can people still see something more worthwhile and beautiful in you? In your personality, your character, your attitude, your words and actions?

Of course, I'm also not saying that people with good looks have no equally admirable character and values. But without a doubt, one's looks will affect how they behave towards others and how they interact. It is unfortunate how society works. Why is it that the media churns out countless magazines on beauty and fashion and gossip, but seldom do you find anything on the lives of inspirational people who may not even care to use make up or buy the latest clothing? Why is our society so depraved of the things that actually truly matter to people as people? Not supermodels or movie stars?

Why is it that the people who are notoriously famous are those who've most probably done a sex scene or succumbed to drugs? I'm making generalizations here, unavoidably. But you get my point. That's the general direction our generation is heading in. And its so bloody pathetic.

I can't believe young people nowadays are so uninformed and ignorant about issues in our generation that truly matter. All they know is the latest pop song, the trendiest fads, the hunkiest actor. I honestly don't give a damn about any of this. I mean, in what way does any of this enrich my life?

What young people deem as entertainment these days is just so shallow and utterly predictable. Surface-level stuff. Ultimately inconsequential. I'm not vehemently against any of this. I'm just saying, where's the balance? Where's the priority? Where's the heart in all this?

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