You stripped away the masquerade. The Illusion has been shed. Are you happy with yourself?

In yesterday's post, we established the fact that it was 2014. In case you didn't realize it, 2014 started off with a gigantic problem. My generation. Although I rarely claim them, I was born with this weird 21st century group of people. We're still trying to figure everything out, but there are endless issues with our generation that aren't being discussed. I'm going to take the liberty of doing it. The other day I saw a really cute guy at the mall. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, nothing really special but I say a sparkle in him. Yes, I said sparkle. Something inside of him shined bright and I was intrigued. All he had to do to win that moment from him was be himself. The most he did was wash his face. A 21st century girl wakes up, showers, washes their face, puts on foundation, powder, eye shadow, mascara, lip liner, lip gloss. Some will take it even further. Lately for me when I'm trying to look especially pretty, it involves some fake nail and eyelash action as well. This is all before we've even started on our hair. After all of this, you're pretty. You get a little attention now and then and life will be an easier journey because of it. You sparkle. But guys wash their face and that's good enough to us. That double standard feels so unfair! I'm not saying guys should start wearing fake eye lashes to make their eyes pop, but I'm saying guys in our generation should be able to see something in us just the way we are like we do with them. No ones forcing our generation to put on make up or anything, but it's a social norm. I know I am not alone.

The issue is that girls are taught to strive for perfection and marriage. Boys are taught to play sports and get as many hoes as possible. Some of these lessons are learned through example. Parents, guardians, etc. And others happen when they get to college, join a frat or a team or whatever and they see what that culture is like. They embrace it, and the years of lessons passed on by two really great parents or guardians disappear into the dust. It is so sad. Sure, they'll find their way when their 30 or 40. Settle down. Do more and smoke less, but that is a long time from where we are now. Speaking of smoking, almost everyone does it in some fashion. Did I mention it was 2014? We all know about health practices. The long term affects of decisions made in our youth. All of these facts are imprinted in our minds from a young age, but we'll give it all up for a few minutes of confidence. We live in a generation of people who feel like they can't be themselves without taking some kind of mind altering substance. They can't open up and be who they are unless they can fall back on the excuse "I was drunk". It's sick that we have to hide behind alcohol, makeup, or whatever other crazy clutches people are using. Why not just...be yourself? Whether people like you or hate you, its who you are. You can hide it all you want, but eventually they'll know who you truly are. If they never liked that in the first place, all you really did was waste precious time.

We are a society more comfortable posting naked pictures of ourselves on instagram than we are telling people about our interests and lives. Because the fact that we like watching the bachelor, have a cat, an acne problem, no close friends, nerdy habits or whatever is embarrassing to people these days is just too much of a burden to bare. This says so many different things about society. Not to be one to slut shame, but 1. Our standards are different than any generation before us. Sure Madonna wore the cone bra and there were always strippers and stuff, but regular people didn't post daily naked or practically naked shots. No one went to parties in underwear and stockings (a sight I've scene multiple times in recent months. Yuck.) 2. We're constantly self destructing with alcohol, drugs, and STI's. 3. This is the new normal. No one is doing anything to stop it and nothing has changed. What does this mean for my future, or your future? I don't know. I just don't know.

Song of the Day: Petty Hurts by Beyonce

Quote of the day: "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society". - Jiddu Krishnamurti