Every afternoon once I get settled in my office, I pull out my laptop and charger and check out what goodies await me in my RSS reader. For about 30 minutes, I am glued to my seat, reading articles from some of my favorite journalists and the sites they write for.
Today, an article by Risa Dixon over at Clutch Magazine caught my eye: Doctor Claims He Can Permanently Change Eye Color From Brown to Blue. I was almost shocked, to say the least. The first question that popped into my head was 'Is that even safe?' Then I started to wonder who would want such a procedure done. Got me to thinking about how we as a human race are so mesmerized by the thought of being a better version of ourselves. Everyone has something(s) that they wish they could change about themselves, myself included but why? Why are we so obsessed with thought of looking like someone else?
In Dixon's article, she tells us of Dr. Gregg Homer and the "20-second procedure that removes melanin that will lighten eye color without affecting a patient's eyesight". She too questions if the procedure is necessary.
This article immediately took me back to my scholarly days where I had to read Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. If you are unfamiliar with the great literary work, Morrison allows us to get to know a young black girl by the name of Pecola Breedlove. In the story, she is enamored with the idea of having blue eyes like the adorable Shirley Temple. Pecola felt that if her eyes were blue, things would be a lot easier for her. Of course the novel explored other things than just blue eyes but that one stuck out to me the most.
Self-esteem plays a huge role, in my opinion, when it comes to self alteration. One really has to be in a low place, for lack of a better term, to actually want to go through with something as drastic as an eye color change. Like I said above, I have some things I wish I could change (like my pudgy fingers and short nail beds) but I would NEVER go through with a double hand transplant. I also played basketball for 15+ years of my life, suffering through more finger/thumb jams than I can count.
This self-esteem thing goes further for me than just altering one's natural appearance. It's also seen in the fashion trends of today. I've never been a "fashion whore" or someone who has to have the latest material thing. If it looks nice and put together, I'll wear it. Simple as that. I don't spend hours in the mall. I hate it actually. Too many people for me. But there was a time when I felt like I had to have a certain look to feel accepted but that soon wore off when I realized that I don't have to dress in this brand or in this style. I'm an individual and want to be seen as such.
Learning to be genuinely happy with the body and features that God took the precious time to make up the unique person that is you is a process, I know. I am constantly learning to be appreciative of my pudgy fingers and short nail beds. Even embracing my big head took some time but I did it. This is not something that will happen overnight but I'm asking that you start today, being thankful and embracing all that makes you YOU!
Besides, if you don't love and appreciate you, why would someone else???
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