We Are Beautiful!

I went to a modeling audition today. I know what most of you are thinking, “Come on Miranda!” And all of you are right. I had an enlightening experience with the agents. They opened my eyes to one of the biggest jokes in our nation: body image! I’m an average-sized girl, but before they even knew more than my height and name, the agent looked at me and said, “Yeah, well, I’m sorry. We actually don’t have anything we could really use you for. You see, you fall into what we would call ‘plus size’ and there is no use for you now. Though there are…”

Yes, I did stop listening. What the agent told me was one of the most insulting things I had ever been told in my entire life. I looked around and felt so self-conscious. Normally, I consider myself a confident person. I’m confident in how I look, walk, talk, think–pretty much everything. This encounter just made me feel so horrible about myself.

I cut the agent off in the middle of her speech about how I could possibly change myself so I could please the modeling world, and be a better me. Something just clicked inside, just like a little me knocking on my forehead yelling, “Hello! Is anyone home? WAKE UP MIRANDA!” I smiled the prettiest smile I could, and said in my most confident voice, “Well that’s okay. I was just trying my luck.” She smiled back and we said our goodbyes. The whole meeting lasted less than one minute. When I explained the conversation to my mother, she wanted to go back and give the agents a piece of her mind. I was glad I had talked to them alone!

The whole experience illustrated how distorted the Hollywood world is. I was turned away for being a healthy weight, without any consideration of my other characteristics. At first I was embarrassed. It was like they announced my deepest fear to the entire world. They made me feel uncomfortable with who I was for a brief moment. I was actually listening to the options the agent had in mind that would help me to become something I’m not. Looking back on the situation, I’m appalled at the fact that I bought into that superficial world, even if it was only for a moment!

Now that I’ve finished rambling, here’s my main message: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Don’t let someone tell you that the number on a scale defines you. The number on a scale is just that, a number. I’m tired of hearing tabloids call Kate Winslet “overweight” or about how a stick figure celebrity sets the standard for how every girl should be.

I promise that I will never look at sickly celebs and wish I could be thinner, or let to someone who doesn’t even know me convince me that I don’t measure up. I AM good enough. I’m good enough for my parents, my sisters, my baby brother, and my friends. Each one of you is good enough, too. Every single girl out there is important and beautiful in her own way.