Inspiration...

It has been long....way too long. 1 and a half years that is. I'm not quite sure why I stopped writing - not enough time? (pathetic excuse!)...too many other things to do (ummm. not really)....ran out of things to say? (sounds about right!)

But what makes me feel like writing today is a remarkable blog I came across thanks to a friend.
http://doilooknormal.blogspot.com/
I won't discuss it in detail because I can't do its beauty justice...but in short it's written by an acid attack victim who has chosen to be a lot more than that and has embarked on a project to understand people's attitudes towards what they think is not normal.

And it made me think. That I am guilty of it too. If I see someone on the road that doesn't, for the lack of a better term fit into that mould of 'normal', I probably look back again. I don't shy away from talking to people or keep away from them but as much as I'd like to say it doesn't, physical appearance does seem to matter to me. And I am ashamed. While I was reading her blog I was ashamed too. It made me wonder about my own reaction at seeing someone who may have been changed in appearance due to an accident or tragedy, or perhaps someone who was born that way. What is my normal thought? I feel sorry for them? But is that right? Is sympathy really what the response should be or is it more important to ignore the physical appearance altogether?

I hate blaming society for my own faults but why is it that when I know that physical appearances don't matter, they still subconsciously seem to? I have no answer...

The ironic part is that just before I came across this blog I was reading a fashion blog and was reading comments that people made over celebrities and how one either looked too chubby while another looked anorexic...oh and another looked like she worked out too much (!) and was getting 'man-like muscles'. That truly irked me - that people are so rigid in their thinking of what is good looking. And I felt very holier-than-thou that I believe everyone is beautiful etc etc. Then I came across this. And realized what a hypocrite I am...while the standards may be different I too have something in my head on what IS normal. As much as I don't want to perhaps there is a side of that does judge on appearance and I am ashamed

However I am inspired too by what I read and hopefully that inspiration will seep into my conscience enough that I will start to look beyond appearance - whatever that may be - and not just feel sorry for people but see them as people...