Pretty Things

In my recent admission of watching The Bachelor, I've been thinking a lot about reality shows. What's with all the hot chicks? Why are we so "anti-ugly?"

Americans were up in arms when the show Mike and Molly premiered months ago, which puts a new spin on the term "big love."
Some of the nation's most confused critics couldn't believe the public endorsement of a show about the love between two overweight people.

What is with us?

Not that I'm naming names and totally outing this person, but... a certain someone's husband might really love the show Dating in the Dark. The premise of the show: three guys and three girls meet in a pitch black room and over the course of a few days get to know each other. At the end of the interview/first date process, they see pictures of one another and get to decide if they want to date them in real life.
It's a simple concept. It's cheesy and sweet and has all the makings of reality amazement. But of course, none of the people on the show are particularly awkward or horribly unattractive.

How much do looks really count?
How hard is it for us to see real beauty?

A few weeks ago I met a makeup artist named Jessica Hoffman, a full-time red carpet makeup artist who's making the many forms of beauty her pursuit. In general, most people would consider her "beautiful." She has flawless skin, a thin graceful frame, and china blue eyes. What she also has is a dream for other women to see beauty in themselves. She's the founder of something called the Pure Beauty Project, a non-profit organization that helps women have a positive self-image and a stronger sense of their personal beauty.
I met Jessica on Day 1 of a new journey she launched, called "30 Days of Beauty." She kicked it off 30 days before her 30th birthday. Her goal is to focus on the different forms of beauty in our every day lives for an entire month, and she hopes to make the world a little more beautiful along the way.

Her idea is simple. But it's really inspiring.
Maybe, just for today, I'll try to take a quick second to recognize a touch of beauty somewhere I haven't noticed before.

Happy Birthday Jessica!






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