Perfection!

To be perfect.
It's something we all strive for, essentially, but is it truly attainable?

per·fect/ˈpərfikt/

Adjective:

Having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

I've read countless stories, articles, journal entries,etc. about young girls trying to become this ideal. Whether it be with personality, looks, or interests. As a society, at least as teenage girls, we look up to those who have already succeeded. We want to be those people; we believe we can be those people.

Though eating disorders are mental disorders, there is no doubt that the media plays has an effect. Models in magazines, on television, and in movies are becoming younger, taller, and thinner. The average weight of a model who is 5' 8" is 110 pounds. These young women are critically underweight, and it is almost impossible to meet up to that standard.

When I was thirteen, my life was a mess. Maybe that seems a bit dramatic, but the "tweenage" hormones definitely took their toll on me. I wanted to be perfect. I stopped eating breakfast and dinner, and strictly stuck to a plate full of lettuce for lunch (to this day, I loooooove lettuce). But would being thinner actually make me believe that I would magically become perfect? I kept this little "healthy diet" up until I almost blacked out in gym. I can't help but think about those girls who don't eat at all, who end up looking shriveled and fragile and small. Is that what they think perfect is? Again, it's essential to know that anorexia and bulimia nervosa are mental disorders, but there must be a reason that young girls look towards changing their image as a way to fix their problems.

But in reality, who is to put that measure on perfection? Can it be measured? Does there come a point when being too perfect can be too much?

"You're skinny. You're perfect."

That sounds ridiculous, but isn't that what the media says on a daily basis?

Maybe I've been so hooked on this idea of "perfection" lately because I've been concerned about my weight. This year I quit ballet in hopes that I could volunteer at the local homeless shelter when I turn sixteen. The loss of the dance classes this year has definitely not been worth it (yet), if you look at my weight change. It's been harder than I expected, and I've been trying to pinpoint why. Are looks so important to me, that I let how much I weigh put a value on my worth as a person?

And then I get to thinking... without the media, would we have that ideal "perfect" image to live up to? Is it to be someone we're not? Or is this drive for perfection something that always has been ingrained in us?

I don't expect anyone to follow what I'm saying..

Goodniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!