The Perception of Beauty

We were taught to shy away mirrors

Mirrors and puddles and store windows

Mirrors and our own front facing cameras on our phones and the windshields of parked cars lining the streets

We’re reminded of that Greek myth,

the one of Narcissus’s slow death,

His body aching from thirst and starvation,

As dried up tears etched ghost like trails on his sunken cheekbones,

incurably mesmerized by his own reflection

We were told to stop staring at ourselves

We say this is a lesson on “why are you so full of yourself” or “don’t be so self-centered”

But, tell me, what is so sinful about being full on the days we feel so empty?

Is there really any harm in being centered when our balance is so off?

I started hating my own body when I was 10 years old,

Staring at the skinny girls in my ballet classes,

seeing barbie dolls and Disney princesses and the gorgeous models plastered on billboards.

I was no longer able to look in a mirror without staring at my flaws,

My 5 foot tall 90 pound frame not yet fully developed, my flat stomach,

But I still wasn’t skinny enough.

the daily reinforcement from my parents of the idea that I was beautiful,

Yet I still didn’t believe them because

every mirror that I looked into was a constant reminder of all of me that wasn’t good enough.

I learned how to put on mascara at the age of 11 to make my eyes look bigger

From that day forward I never left the house without makeup,

Denied myself every opportunity to look in a mirror when I wasn’t dolled up and looking my best.

At 13 I would paint my nails every week

and at 14 I barely ate

so I would look skinny in my Homecoming dress

Our society has left us corrupted by cosmetic ads,

Plastic surgery, airbrushing, and Photoshop.

We have let superficial ideals get in the way of what’s truly important.

We have been told what we should do,

What we should say,

Since day one.

We hear the story of Cinderella,

How she found her Prince Charming because she was beautiful,

Blonde hair and blue eyes,

Tiny waistline, delicate features.

That is what captivated her Prince.

Not her wit, her warmth or her kindness.

A single glance of her external beauty that tore her away from her own identity and individuality

As he made her into something that was no more than

A shell of all that she was and all that she had the potential to be.  

We read these stories to the children of our society as we teach them what is

Truly important.

We mask our insecurities, caused by these unfair depictions of beauty, with modesty,

Because we cower and wince when we hear the words “I absolutely love the way my body looks today”

But we also hide from the words “I fucking hate myself, I wish I was someone else”.

We have lost ourselves in a world revolving around insignificant matters with our superficial cravings and ideas causing us to lose sight of what should be the most important.

So, to the people who say that the girl who’s sexy and knows it is egotistical, but the one that doesn’t realize it is beautiful

To these people I say bullshit

Having a cheap opinion of yourself is not modesty

Having a cheap opinion of yourself is not beautiful

Having a cheap opinion of yourself is self-destruction

So the next time you find yourself faced by your own reflection be it in a mirror, puddle, or store window

Stop and stare a little longer

Amir in Afghanistan

Amir in Afghanistan

This image symbolizes how Amir’s position in his own country, Afghanistan, has changed after his lengthy departure. When war broke out in Afghanistan, many people (including Baba and Amir) fled to safer countries such as the United States instead of aiding the war effort. The once white home plate represents Afghanistan, however it is now covered in the dirt which represents the state of chaos created by the Taliban. Amir’s return to Afghanistan is represented by the beautiful flower which seems out of place within the ravaged country of Afghanistan (the home plate). After being sheltered from war in the safe neighborhood of Kabul and later in America, Amir discovers that he cannot thrive in the harsh conditions of his homeland, he states, “I feel like a tourist in my own country” (231). A flower cannot grow on the manufactured plastic, it can only wither and die. If Amir were to truly understand his country and expand his roots to include the mistakes of his past (represented by the dirt surrounding the home plate), he would not feel so out of place. However, instead Amir turned his back on both his country and his best friend Hassan when they needed his courage the most. Ultimately, Amir’s inability to adapt in the face of difficult decisions has lead to his history of cowardly decisions.

Mutilating Africa

Devon Pon

Mutilating Africa

140 million.  140 million young girls and women today have been subjected to the brutality and the harsh consequences of female genital mutilation (UNFPA).  These 140 million have had to suffer the repercussions of the operation that has been outlawed in the majority of the world as it is seen as a violation of one’s inherent human rights.  The ramifications can be severe, at best, a young woman mutilated for life often times suffering from numerous health complications, and at worst, death.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the practice of partially, or totally, removing the external genitalia of girls and young women for non-medical purposes.  An estimated 140 million young girls have undergone FGM, about 92 million of these young girls are living in Africa (World Health Organization).  FGM is an issue that is known internationally as a violation of human rights.  It is a reflection of  deeply-rooted gender inequalities in one’s culture, as it establishes a hazardous and severe form of discrimination against women. Of female genital mutilation, the WHO says, "It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person's rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death."

Female genital mutilation is a custom that is carried out for a variety of reasons, many of which stem from the sexism that is embedded deep into traditional African culture.  In Africa, men lead lives of more opportunity and advantages than women.  This drastic difference between the roles of men and women has lead to the acceptance of female genital mutilation throughout Africa.  In many areas, FGM is not questioned as it is a custom that has been fixed into a culture.  Many believe that it is a step towards womanhood and prepares girls for marriage.  Other times, those who have their daughters cut, are simply following the social norm as they are afraid of being rejected by their community.  In certain areas of Africa, female genitalia is seen as unsightly and, following superstitious beliefs and instructions,  people are prompted to cut their young daughters.  One of the main motivators of FGM, is the removal of pleasure from sexual activities, ensuring a girl’s virginity until marriage and her fidelity while married (JSTOR). These various reasons lead to the perpetuation of an ancient harmful tradition.

The consequences and repercussions of female genital mutilation can be severely damaging to one’s mental and physical states.  In a best case scenario, a young girl is left mutilated for the rest of her life, but most often one is not so fortunate.  The list of detrimental effects is seemingly never ending while the pros are non-existent as FGM has no health benefits.  Female genital cutting can be extremely dangerous.  It can lead to blood loss and infections, such as tetanus, the spread of HIV through unsanitized surgical tools (often times a ceremonial knife or a dirty razor) that have been used on multiple girls, it can cause issues with menstruating and childbirth, and in the most dire of circumstances, it can result in death (JSTOR).  However, the outcome of the surgery all depends on the medical practitioner and the extent of their education on how to perform operations.  Possibly more damaging than the physical effect, is the psychological impact.  Many girls who have undergone FGM have chronic emotional issues such as distrust towards others, anxiety, and stress. The effects of FGM are extremely harmful to one’s well-being.

While this is a very old tradition, with the newfound knowledge that we have collected through modern medicine and psychology, we now have a more informed perspective on old practices.  With these contemporary understandings of the physical and emotional impacts of FGM, perhaps this traditional custom demands reexamination.  Every one of the 140 million girls who have been subjected to FGM are not just contributions to a statistic, each has her own unique personal story about how she has been permanently affected by this ancient tradition.  So, what role should we, as first-world informed citizens, play in addressing the issue of female genital mutilation for future generations?

Works Cited

“Female Genital Mutilation.” Female Genital Mutilation.  Web. 10 Mar. 2016.  

"Female Genital Mutilation and Risk of HIV Transmission." Female Genital Mutilation and Risk of HIV

Transmission. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.  

"Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Frequently Asked Questions." Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Frequently Asked Questions. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"Female Genital Mutilation: History and Facts." Untitled Document. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.  

"Female Genital Mutilation." World Health Organization. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.  This article focuses on female

"Tackling Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - FORWARD UK." FORWARD RSS. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.

Playing God

Through changing the time of the alarm clock, Luo reveals his immaturity with this responsibility. He is the "master" of time, yet he manipulates it for his own benefit. Though it may seem insignificant, Luo's actions show how much he has mature throughout the novel. Luo seems to be oblivious of the gravity of the situation, and he instead tries to risk his livelihood to have fun. At the end of the ordeal, Luo not only lost touch with the time, he also lost touch with himself. As we can later see in the novel, Luo improves great strides when it comes to responsibility.

“Nonetheless, our home soon became the focal point of the village, thanks to another phoenix, a smaller version, miniature almost, and rather more earthbound, whose master was my friend Luo” (13).

“... In the end we had changed the position of the hands so many times that we had no idea what the time really was” (15).

Boundless

Boundless

The Tao cannot be contained.

The Tao is unlimited beyond our understanding.

The Tao is infinite; it is forever.

You must give up to gain.

You must lose to win.

You must be crooked in order to be straight.

The Tao cannot be realized if you try to conform to society.

Be your own person,

Express who you are.

Teach them how and the what has vanished.

Follow the why and the where is boundless.

Words are the blindfold that cover the eyes of the witness.

Lift the veil.

Manifestations speak in the artful language the heart already understands.

Streams of Subconsciousness