Because I Was Wrong and Turnabout Is Fair Play

Yesterday on kind of a whim and to very mixed reactions, I posted a picture I had found a long time ago. I can't remember what train of thought I was following, but I typed the word "ugly" in a Google Images search. I never looked at the web page upon which it was originally posted by someone else. It did occur to me that perhaps the original poster wasn't being very nice, since it was listed under "ugly".

The picture I posted is of a young woman with buck teeth, what appears to be a lazy eye and a sweet smile on her face, all dolled up for some kind of formal sorority type of yearbook photo. Her hair is piled high in a Loretta Lynn style swoopy bunned do, formal off the shoulder gown, big giant 80's era gold earrings and dark red lipstick. It was not the kind of photo I had been looking for, but I saved it anyway, because it made me smile and yes, giggle too.

The photo in question has been sitting in a photo file folder for about 5 months or so. I see it every time I scan through those pictures. Every time I see it, it makes me smile.

I don't smile at it because I think the young woman is ugly. I smile at it because she has a lot working against her and she made serious effort. The big hair with crooked bangs, the big gold earrings, bright red lipstick.

I smile at it because there are days when I feel so unattractive that I can barely get out of bed, let alone put on lipstick, fix my hair and feel beautiful enough to have my picture taken. Most of the time I walk around in life feeling pretty cute, but I'm still grounded enough in reality to know that I'll never make People Magazines list of beautiful people. I'm OK with that. But there are days...

Anyhoo...

An anonymous commenter left me this about it:

I didn't even notice her bangs. If the girl in the photo happens upon this blog she won't think you are making fun of her bangs either, but her unfortunate lazy eye that she can't do anything about. Jesus. You should post a current picture of yourself before you post pictures of strangers.

In my post I said that I didn't think the woman was ugly, because I don't. Nor did I mention anything about a lazy eye, which she may or may not actually have. I did mention that her bangs were noticeably crooked.

Anonymous is right though, I should post a current picture of myself before I post pictures of strangers. And here it is:

This is me - today - this morning as a matter of fact - after I first woke up and read the anonymous comment.

This is what I look like when I don't smile, have on no make up and have just rolled out of bed. I haven't had my tea yet either.

My hair is not half bad in this photo, but I promise you I haven't combed it. Besides if you saw it from the back you'd see that it's wrecked, but it's hard to take a picture from that angle so you'll have to take my word for it. I am fat as a goddamn bear, have blotchy skin, red rimmed sleep deprived eyes with unlovely bags under them. I'm also noticing for the first time today that my upper lip has disappeared and that my nose is oddly shaped.

I have taken yesterday's post down and will never put it up again. I had mixed feelings after posting it anyway, but I guess I was thinking that, well, I don't know what I was thinking.

I know I don't look very sorry in this photo, but trust me I really am..

Who knows, maybe somebody else will do a Google Images search for "ugly" and come across my picture here.

I'll tell you what Anonymous, it's awfully hard to push that publish button when it's a nasty picture of myself, but here goes...