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[quasigeek]

Partway though hymns during church service, we break to greet one another and shake hands. (It's actually my least favorite part of service because, you know, forced interaction.) Recently, as I was shaking the hand of an older woman, she did a double-take and said, "wow, you're pretty."

I was taken aback, and I think it was obvious from the

Comments

[fluidcomplexity]

Ever since the SARS incident in 2003, my parish at home actually stopped the whole shaking hands thing and replaced it with bows and waves at each other. Y'know, same thing, right? Except not really. I guess for a person like me who actually goes and hugs people, the sign is really important to me.

... so that totally wasn't the point of your post.

But you're right on about all of that! And I don't think I think about it enough, either. Sure, there's that whole 'real beauty' campaign, but it does little when at the same time everyone is bombarded with hypersexualized images that are supposedly perfect. It's ridiculous to expect that people will get the message.

[quasigeek]

I'm the awkward one who stands around during the greeting and waits for people to approach me. Though most of the time I'm blocked in the pew so I can't get out, anyway. haha

I wish more people understood that beauty isn't this clear-cut definition, you know? And I like the real beauty campaign, but yeah... there's not enough of it. Kind of defeats the purpose when the following ad is some busty over-photoshopped woman or something.