Bipolar State of Mind

I live in a bipolar state of mind.
Every emotion changing with every minute that passes by;
time determining what I feel.
In a constant state of unpredictable tendencies,
laughing in my unsure face as I struggle.
Never feeling the same sentiment as everyone else in the room,
an indecisive outlook on myself.
I live in a bipolar state of mind.
Where people come and go as often as night turns into day.
One moment praising my existence,
then loathing my every quality the next.
Where the sky turns gray and sounds thunder,
only to present a colorful picture;
I am a rainbow protruding through the dark and dismay.
Where people stress acceptance and respect,
only to let jealousy various negative emotions determine their perceptions of people.
I live in a bipolar state of mind,
but so does everyone around me,
and what's their excuse?

Beauty: Pertaining to Women

I think it amazing how the beauty of women is so powerful.

One shy glance or erotic bite of the bottom lip can have men sultry in their clothes right where they stand.

The features of one not comparable to those of another due to unique lack of similarities.

All women are beautiful.

Whether it be a blonde, brown, or red mane; whether it be curly, straight, long, or short.

Whether it be a complexion of smooth, bumpy, freckled, or blemished; whether it be dark, light, tan, or pale.

Whether it be a slim, round, tall, or small type of figure; whether it be broad-shouldered, thick-boned, or hollow-cheeked. 

All women are beautiful. 

I have had abs and I have had rolls, and I have never not been desirable. 

You will always be found attractive by someone.

I have never met a body that is not a work of art, nor will I ever.

*I often times have to resort back to this in order to restrain myself from rejecting frinds who have acquired a close relationship

A lot of girls, particularly during high school, eventually obtain a significant other and then proceed to cut off the rest of the world while pursuing the relationship. This used to bother me a lot. I would always be the one friend who did not have a boyfriend, after the unfortunate end to my only relationship early on in high school. I didn't mind not having a boyfriend or girlfriend, but I did mind when my friends would stop communicating with me entirely due to a sudden connection with someone else. I would always tell people "I cannot wait until I find someone who makes me want to ditch all my friends" and I meant it. I never made fun of or shamed girls for devoting all their time to one person, because I knew damn well that when I fell in love I would probably do the same.

This happened to me many times throughout high school, and it, for lack of a better term, really bummed me out. But eventually, just like everyone else, I found someone who, for some reason, wanted to be seen in public holding my hand. I, as predicted, now devote a massive amount of my time (for example, right now) thinking about, talking to, writing about, and loving this one person, and I am not ashamed of it. Now I am that friend. My friends refuse to speak to me out of annoyance and neglect to invite me out and then proceed to complain about my lack of attendance.. but I will not apologize for or feel guilty for falling in love.. and I know that, while it is hard for me now, one day they will come to understand, just like I did. I take a glance at the dirty looks that people give me in the halls and the mean things they do to me online and then I look at pictures of me smiling, and I think that I ultimately made the right decision, because while everyone else in the world makes me so sad, he makes me so happy. And for all the people who have began hating me since the beginning of my relationship, I hope you all find someone someday who makes you realize how wrong you are.

Double Standards

In this modern society we so luckily reside in, men and women are judged ruthlessly by the ignorant on a daily basis. In order to fly under the radar, people are forced to monitor what they wear, what they say, how they look, and who they hang out with. Even simple tasks such as how someone eats or their profession is judged tremendously based on certain characteristics. These judgements are made wrongly towards both sexes, but the same accusations do not vary from one to the other. A double standard is a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people. A double standard exists when an action or moral is considered appropriate and praiseworthy for one group, but is considered wrong and deplorable for the other. In other words, an incredibly unfair judgement made towards a specific person or group of people, which eventually determines an inaccurate view of that person or multiple people.

When it comes to gender, double standards are alive and well. This specific type is tricky to detect, because gender double standards can take place within the same gender, although more commonly resurrected when perpetrated by the opposite gender. Have you ever been walking down the hallway admiring how risky someone’s outfit is, when all of a sudden, you get yelled at? Some people are able to get away with certain “inappropriate” outfits that others are discriminated against for.

One time I wore a backless dress to school and instantly got torn apart by an (I'm assuming) unhappy teacher who definitely needed to get laid or something. She told me I looked like I belonged in a "club" and made me go change. While switching clothes, out of frustration with the teacher and my body type, I gave a girl in the bathroom the dress and told her she could have it. A couple periods later I pass the girl in the hallway sporting the dress that was once mine. At the end of the day I complimented her on how she looked and asked her about her experience wearing the dress around school all day. She told me she received no dirty looks and actually got a couple compliments from teachers. A perfect example of a gender double standard that resides within the same sex. One body was rendered inappropriate, whereas the other was completely fine and worthy of compliments rather than accusations and punishment.

An instance where gender double standards may be applied to opposite sexes often times occur around clothing choices, as well as many other specimen. For example, some boys wear jean shorts, commonly referred to as “jorts,” as a humorous fashion statement for multiple events. These cut-off jean pants are definitely not dress code valid, but no one has ever gotten punished for the lack of length and excessive tightness. However, if any girl were to strut through the front doors of Buckeye High wearing tight, wrist-length jean shorts, she would immediately be attacked by whispers and vicious stares. She would not even make it halfway through the school day without a teacher demanding a change in wardrobe, but I have walked passed many jort-wearing boys on my way to ninth period in my four years of high school who have obviously not been told to change. One time, a couple boys came to school sporting their boxers on the outside of their pants. Everyone admired their confidence and did not take a second look. It was funny, (it really was, I thought it was hilarious myself) but it wasn't fair. If I wore my thong on the outer layer of my jeans I would be exiled immediately.

Another example: Have you ever noticed the way people, girls and boys, are treated when in direct correlation with how certain athletes are treated? I've walked in late to class and been marked absent then to see three football players stumble in after me and receive comments like "Great game last night guys, take a seat."

Double standards exist in the lives of even the most admirable humans. Artist Niykee Heaton was the victim of a sexual double standard while attending a Six Flags water park over this past summer.

“They wouldn’t let me in because I was wearing a sports bra in 85 degree weather,” Heaton tweeted.

This is clearly intolerable due to the fact that men are constantly seen without their shirts on roaming around water parks.

This specific instance is also an example of a gender double standard as well.

“There was a slim girl ahead of me who was let in without a second thought who also happened to be wearing a sports bra,” Heaton said. She concluded that she was discriminated against because of how her body looks.

When, if ever, will these inexact assumptions and reactions to certain people be put to rest? It is a reality of life that men and women are held to different standards, depending upon the subject. These different standards are not necessarily bad. Men and women are obviously somewhat different, but sometimes these seem unfair. As of lately, it seems as if this world will never be accepting of one another for how they are naturally, or how they choose to conduct themselves. Although this prediction is saddening, it is a part of life that can only be altered by the actions of us all. It is impossible to erase almost one million years of evolution in one politically correct generation, but we can only hope that one day we will live in a world of complete acceptance and absolutely no judgement. We’ll see.

When I wrote that we are so lucky to reside in this current society, I was only being sarcastic to a point. We actually are very lucky to be living in a world that is constantly changing in forms of almost every single thing. Two hundred years ago people would not believe someone who claimed there would one day be an African American president, or that same sex marriage would be legalized, and look where we are now. There will always be the occasional occurrence of an incorrect form of judgement due to, like I said, ignorance, as well as the cloud of unfairness that engulfs the earth, but the world is changing.

The other day, while carelessly scrolling through my Twitter feed, I came across a photo of a beautiful male whose face was elegantly painted with makeup. Me, being a rarely optimistic eighteen year old, was immediately intrigued by his beauty and ability to portray this beloved art form without care of judgement. This picture inspired me in multiple ways. I soon after that discovery began writing my feelings about society and perceptions of makeup and gender double standards.

Here is an unfinished drawing of a man whose right side is untouched by cosmetics while his left side is wearing makeup. I hope to send an important message to everyone with this piece. Let me know what you think!

Makeup Your Mind

Maybe she’s born with it, or maybe she’s wearing make up? Makeup is used to highlight, enhance, and alter someone’s appearance to make them appear their own version of “perfect.” Mascara to make lashes longer and fuller, eyeliner to make the eyes pop, blush to give a healthy contour, lipstick to create a deeper tone, bronzer in order to appear tanner, and much, much more.

Females and some males partake in the daily ritual of applying makeup, and there’s nothing wrong with including what is “in” right now, speaking cosmetically, in someone’s morning routine. The question people are pondering is why? Why do people wear makeup?

Well, makeup is an art. It really is. It is an art form that is equally as difficult and talented as if someone were to take up sculpting. Bringing out the deep colors and highlights in someone’s face is not something people can do without practice.

Females all around are subjecting themselves to society’s ideal image of perfection, and that’s not what makeup is for. Makeup is for confidence and beauty. Makeup is something that people should do for themselves and not to please or to impress others. Everyone should love the way they look naturally, but there’s nothing wrong with getting done up every now and then. Some people do it to add confidence to their personality, or just because they simply enjoy doing makeup!

There have been memes created of real people who are skilled in their makeup-applying abilities saying rude comments such as “This is why you take a girl swimming on the first date,” showing pictures of a girl wearing makeup and then what she looks like when she is not wearing any, and pictures of males wearing makeup saying, “What is wrong with this generation?” Makeup is not a gender-restricted activity. If someone wants to wear makeup (regardless of the amount of it, or their sex), then wear makeup! Although debatably comical (to some people), these comments are hurtful, offensive, and rude. Yes, people look different when wearing makeup, that’s the point. That doesn’t mean they should be shamed for their enhanced appearance. Instead of putting them down for using cosmetic materials, why not compliment them on their artistic ability and talent?

It really is an art, and not many people realize that.    

Why am I doing this? What's the point?

People post about everything. What they’re eating, what they or their friends are doing currently or what’s happening later, random thoughts that pop into their minds, and just about anything they find slightly humorous. People post about everything.

    But that’s not writing. People post pointless, arguably not relevant information that others could have gone their whole lives without perusing and not been affected one bit. Whereas, people write to make people feel something, to spark a reaction, to put forth an idea or a thought. People write about things that are important in the world.

    There are a lot of things to talk about these days, but that doesn’t mean the point of writing is to just write about anything. Writing is about finding who you are. What you have to say is not what everyone else has to say… The point of writing is to tell a story with your insight, the perspective that only you have. The point of writing is to think deeply and to inform, entertain, communicate your insight with your readers. The point of writing is to seek truth.  And it doesn’t matter how you do that…

    Authors and journalists write about controversial, debated, and sometimes sensitive subjects, but their intention is never to offend anyone. They write to just write. They write to create images with their words. They write to influence and to inform and to make people feel. Having an opinion and the ability to express that is a luxury that most take for granted, everyone thinks, feels, and has their own opinion. The difference between everyone and writers is that writers put into words their thoughts, feelings, and opinions and expose themselves intentionally, instead of suppressing these natural emotions.

    Writers submerge themselves in the wonderful success of receiving feedback, negative or positive. Whether someone gave their script five stars, or completely tore their work apart, writers are happy to have connected with someone to the extent that they took time out of their life to critique their works. Whether a reader relates to an article or is completely repulsed by it, writers are content because, regardless of their objections, they read their writing. People write things so people can read them, right? Someone may passionately detest a novel, but they read it! They did their job.

    Expressing someone’s opinion about something they read is expected, and graciously accepted. Writers accept negative (and, of course, positive) comments because they are glorified with the fact that people are talking about what they wrote, and there is no better feeling than that.

    For anyone who has ever been offended, hurt, or upset by one of my articles, (or anyone’s article, for that matter) I apologize immensely, for that was and never will be my motive as a writer. But I do thank you for the publicity.

 

As an aspiring writer, and at the hand of many requests, I have finally made a blog (thank you Mikayla Besida). I'm just going to jump right into it so let me know if I suck and you want me to stop. Thanks everyone!