. . . and all the shiny accessories

It's winter time and I drink much less water than I do in the summer time especially while I'm out and about. The other day I was on my way to work packing my lunch. I was getting ready to put my 40-ounce stainless steel water bottle into my bag and realized that it just took up way too much space in light of the fact that I didn't actually need forty ounces of water that day. I thought about what to do. I went to my cupboards and got out a 20-ounce plastic Rubbermaid bottle but I felt . . . funny. I remember feeling a similar way when I forgot my reusable bags for my groceries at Trader Joe's. I remember feeling a similar way hoisting out my mismatched hodgepodge of re-useable bags at the "upscale" Whole Foods.

"What's this?" I asked myself.

My mind flashed back to this article and I had myself a good chuckle. See, far too often, it's the shiny accessories that announce that one is living a green lifestyle that become most important. It's the highly visual evidence that one is not a mindless consumer but rather a consumer that puts careful thought into each of his/her purchases. It's the symbol that says, "I care about the Earth" and "I am doing something". Or so the merchandise would suggest.

I thought about buying a smaller stainless steel water bottle for myself. Maybe borrowing Z1's (after a good scrub down, of course). But I decided to take my little plastic Rubbermaid bottle. I was only putting plain water in it anyway and certainly not in the mood to spend any extra money. I already had something to carry my water in.

I'm not interested in the look of being green. And I'm especially not in it for all the shiny accessories.

I like to look at

What celeberities wear to award shows. I like the glamour and the creativity of many designers.

The most recent award show (I think) was the Emmy Awards. I happened upon this "Worst and Best Dressed List" from the ceremony. I agreed with them sometimes and other times I was left thinking, "Are they blind?" One glaring case . . .

So here number 25, Jenna Fisher. I liked the dress well-enough--thought she was well put together. They gave her a B+.

Scroll forward to my girl Chandra Wilson. I was like, "Whoa" She looked STUNNING. She picked a great dress for her body and her hair is tight. She's tastefully accessorized, makeup looks great. The grade? C-. They called the outfit "snooze worthy" even though it's almost the exact same dress Jenna Fisher was wearing style- wise except that Chandra's actually has more going on. Yet it's boring? They call her 'do disastrous. Really? Wow . . . it's a classic "Black woman" style that Chandra could maybe have pulled off with all her own hair (although there's probably weave for volume). I think it's pretty and well done--certainly not a mess and not the most basic of styles. Disastrous? Far from it.

Seems to me like there's something else going on here especially when you scroll to the next picture: Looks Like She Needs to Go Find Something to Eat Kristin Chenoweth, whose dress is just a whole bunch of sparkly things (looks kind of like crinkled up aluminum foil), who's wearing a ponytail, and whose makeup is, well, snooze worthy. She gets . . . an A from these folks. Please. With a Capital P.

I mean, we don't expect much from Hollywood as Black women but they could at least be fair. Chandra looked good and it should be by anyone's standards. Yes, she a plus size woman but she looks so well put-together. Not sloppy at all. Not a C-. Not on any planet or in any universe. I'm sure as an actress, she's used to the harshness in Hollywood. And I'm not saying that Chandra couldn't stand to shed a few pounds. But she made what she's got going on work in a fabulous way and to me, looked far better than Kristin Chenoweth who I think only got an A because she's rail thin and blond.

Am I being too sensitive? I don't think so . . . it was such a glaring disparity. And a huge nod to the prevailing beauty standards that do so much to damage the self-esteem of girls (Black and White) everywhere.

I'm also getting pretty tired of the whole "she looks good for her age" spiel. Like looking good has an expiration date or something. Like youthful looks are the only worthwhile looks. Huge eyeroll. I know some ABSOLUTELY STUNNING ladies who are done with their twenties, over their thirties, blazed through their 40s, sailed through their fifties and are still rocking in their sixties and seventies.

It's just a reminder that we have to be so vigilant about the toxic messages Hollywood sends to us and begin to formulate and adhere to our own standards of beauty.

**Sorry I couldn't post pictures directly into the post. I have not yet mastered adding pictures on this blog with a Mac.

The Letter I Sent

Here's a copy of the letter I sent.  Keep your fingers crossed that some good things come of this.

July 10, 2009


Dear Library Director,

I want to start this letter by first commending you for the wonderful improvements that have been made at the The Public Library under your direction. They have not gone unnoticed. The library is a more beautiful place and things are running more and more efficiently. The additional programs that have been added are a real attraction and the monthly calendars/lists of events are extremely helpful. I want to take the opportunity to say thank you for making the library experience a more pleasant one for this town's residents.

Last Tuesday, July 7, 2009, I visited the library with my two children. I was surprised and disturbed to find that the TV was out in the front of the room and a DVD was playing. The DVD, as I later learned, was “Teen Titans”, and while I don’t have a problem with my children watching cartoons, this particular one was just not appropriate as most of the children who were present were under the age of six. While I felt it was inappropriate to have the television on altogether, I simply asked for a replacement DVD better suited to the audience. However, I was exceedingly disturbed by the fact that the TV was on in the first place especially in the Children’s Room of the library, a place that should be promoting literacy and learning. 

Television, DVDs, and other media do have a place in the education of children but they must be used in a structured and focused way. To have the television on in the background presents many problems and makes me wonder what kind of message we are trying to give to the children of this town. Is it that we need distractions from books? Or that books are not enough to capture our attention and keep us entertained? I trust these are not the messages we want to convey. 

Rather than just complain about the situation, I am willing to do what I can to fill whatever gaps in programming at our library that may lead to the feeling that the television should be on. I am a skilled crochet and knitting artist. I know there is already a program in place to teach crochet to children but I would be willing to facilitate more of those workshops if there is an interest. Recently, I took my children to a library in a neighboring town for a yoga and movement program only to be turned away. The program, slated to start at 2:00, was already full by 1:30. Implementing a yoga and movement activity at our library would most likely generate a great deal of interest. While I am no yoga instructor by any means, I do practice yoga and would be happy to lend support in finding a yoga instructor willing to donate his/her time to teach yoga to the children of this town at our library. I would be more than happy to facilitate and assist in such a program as well. 

I am not privy to all the reasons why decisions are made at the The Library but I know that plenty of thought has gone into and will continue to go into the difficult task of running the County’s central library. The Library is improving steadily and it is small changes that make such noticeable positive impacts. 

Thank you very much for your attention to this matter.

With warm regards,
Me