what makes a girl beautiful?
By Hailey Gardiner
I believe that beauty is more than hair color, clothing, cosmetics, and body type. I believe that beauty is defined by the eyes of the beholder, and have often wondered why we feel the need to compare ourselves to the unrealistic and superficial standards of beauty, set by people who more often than not, make us feel like we’ll never measure up. In the world of mass media advertising, we are constantly bombarded with photos, commercials and articles, convincing us that if we’d wear this brand of mascara, we will have long, full, eyelashes. If we’d just buy this brand of jeans, we will be confident enough to talk to that cute guy who sits across from us in Chemistry. If we had perfect skin and hair like the actresses on the red carpet, we’d be happy.
Would we really be happy?
When I was in 8th grade, I moved from a small town where popular kids rocked flannels and hiking boots, and walked into a preppy school across the country, where girls my age had perfectly dyed hair and wore trendy clothes.
We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
I started saving up my 13-year-old allowance money to buy similar name brand clothes and shoes to be like the pretty and popular girls in my grade. I thought if I wore makeup, had a monogrammed backpack, and rocked Sperry boaters, that I would be accepted, make lots of friends, and get the attention of boys. Amidst this shift to a new school and life, what was supposed to be a doctor’s check-up ended up changing my perspective and lifestyle forever.
Near the middle of my 8th grade year, I was diagnosed with severe idiopathic Scoliosis. Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine, which most often appears in pubescent-aged girls and sometimes boys, and gradually worsens as one ages and grows. My curvature was severe enough to require aggressive treatment, and thankfully I was not far enough along to need to undergo the standard, highly invasive spinal surgery often required to straighten the spine. As an attempt to inhibit the worsening curve of my spine, I was given a full torso prosthetic brace to wear for 23 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, until my body was done growing. I was allowed to take the brace off to shower and for my
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