Trevanian, Shibumi: “[Consider] the error of the artisan who boasts of
twenty years experience in his craft while in fact he has
only one year of experience - twenty times.”
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Observation - I have to be very careful when I walk in crowds with an umbrella. The ends of my spokes are at eye level on most other people. I wonder, if someone turns suddenly and my spoke hits his eye, would I lose the lawsuit?
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My daughter will be 34 next month, and I have as yet no grandchildren, and I'm starting to think that's ok. I'm not sure I'd want a child to have to live up to the next generation's expectations.
Some of us are born with big noses, or small breasts, short legs, or flat or well-rounded behinds, teeth that are naturally less than sparkling white. The "wrong" eye color or shape, or too high or too low a weight set-point. Hair of the "wrong" texture or in the "wrong" places on our bodies. As we grow older, our hair grays, or thins, or disappears altogether, our skin loosens, wrinkles, gets spotty, and that's natural and normal, but suddenly since it's no longer necessary, it's "wrong".
Somehow we've bought into someone else's definitions of "wrong".
With plastic surgery, botox, silicon injections, liposuction, teeth whitening and capping, laser treatments, contact lenses, hormone replacement and augmentation, growth hormones for children who aren't going to be "tall enough", waxing, dying, reshaping, hair removal and implantation, the whole panoply of products and services that Madison Avenue has convinced us we need, it will soon get to the point where a natural person will be accused of "not taking care of" herself or himself. "With all she could do, why does she walk around looking like that?" I can foresee people being offended by imperfection. I can foresee people being shamed into "correction".
It's already normal for girls in their mid to late teens to get breast implants. It's already normal for young women to expect their men to remove all their fur. It's already normal for young men to be turned off by female pubic hair - somehow it is has become "unhygienic". Everybody has to have perfect teeth. Everybody will soon be expected to have thick long eyelashes.
Where did this attitude come from? I know who's selling it, and I know why - because they have it to offer and want our money for it. But why have we bought into it? What happened to skepticism? Remember when the fake existed, but the real was vastly preferred over fake, even if it was less perfect? Remember when we sneered at fake breasts? And now young women brag about getting them, and it seems like everyone wants them.
I'm afraid that by the time my grandchild grows up, all people would be all plastic, and all look alike (or like one of four prototypes). There will be great pressure to conform. Independent spirits who refuse to conform will be ostracized, and since the pressure will be mainly on children, teens, and young adults, resistance would only be at the expense of mental and social health.
But, I suspect the appearance of health will be much more important than actual health.
The latest is drugs to enhance mental abilities and awareness. Drugs to help one stay awake and alert longer without subsequent crashes. Drugs that allow revolving shift work without the drag. Drugs that improve memory. Drugs that enhance mental speed and agility. Right now most are prescription only, and are being used off-label. But new drugs are being developed every day specifically for those purposes, and pretty soon they'll be available over (or under) the counter. Advertising will make them seem needed. You are not doing your best if you don't have them. You'll have no choice when you're competing for grades, jobs, and opportunities against people who are using them.
I'm afraid my daughter's generation will be the last where natural appearance and abilities are valued. Mine will be the last where natural aging is accepted.
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