Inner peace through a basic lifestyle...

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I came across an article the other day, that really got me thinking about how we as human beings go through life. We spend so much of our time, energy, and even money, striving to find the veritable "fountain of youth", that seems to escape each and everyone of us, as the years pass by. The article was about Jamie Lee Curtis, who is now 50 years of age. She is married to one of my favorite filmmakers of all time, Christopher Guest. I don't know much about their relationship, but the bits and pieces that I have read over the years, eludes to the fact that they are very normal people. Hollywood is riddled with people that try to be something that they aren't. Maybe that is why so many actors congregate there, so that they can get paid to NOT be themselves.

Anyhow, I am going to post a small portion of the article, as it appears in AARP magazine. I admire the sensibility that Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest have. If we can all have the attitude that these two share, the world would be a much happier place. All quotes are from Jamie Lee Curtis...

“I want to be older. I actually think there’s an incredible amount of self-knowledge that comes with getting older. I feel way better now than I did when I was 20. I’m stronger, I’m smarter in every way, I’m so much less crazy than I was then.

“Years ago my husband and I were at the Golden Globes. I was wearing some borrowed dress that wasn’t me, my hair was done in a way that I never wear my hair, and I had earrings on. And my husband said, ‘You know who is the most beautiful woman in the room?’ And I was hoping he was going to say me. And he pointed across the room at Jessica Tandy. She was sitting at a table wearing a cream-colored silk-shantung pantsuit. Single strand of pearls, short white hair, a little lipstick—nothing else. And I thought, ‘He’s totally right.’ There was none of the pretense, none of the trying so hard.

“My style is a distillation. I’ve etched out who I am through myriad haircut attempts, outfit attempts, beauty attempts, diet attempts. It’s been an evolution. I’ve let my hair go gray. I wear only black and white. Every year I buy three or four black dresses that I just keep in rotation. I own one pair of blue jeans. I’ve given away all my jewelry, because I don’t wear it.

I have always been drawn towards people who are genuine... people who are content with who they are. After reading this article, I thought of a good friend of mine, who seems to always be striving for eternal youth. Through a growing amount of cosmetic surgery procedures, she always tries to be as beautiful as she can be. Truthfully, I think that people who rely on doctors to make them pretty, are actually making themselves more unattractive in the long run. I know I don't speak for all men, but celebrities like Pamela Anderson are anything but attractive. If you have ever seen her high school yearbook picture, you would know what I'm talking about. She is a totally different person. Now, I have never met her, nor do I plan to ever meet her, but one thing I can guarantee, is that she is NOT going to become more genuine as she ages.

I live in a house full of girls, and I have always appreciated my wife's natural beauty. I have only ever seen her totally "made up" a couple of times. She had a "glamour shot" sitting back in 1995, where she was totally made up, and has had a couple of makeovers at the Dillards makeup counter. Other than that, she usually just limits herself to some eyeliner and mascara. I have told her that she doesn't even need that, and in all honesty, she would probably become a happier person if she could see her natural beauty. Now, when it comes to this, there are things that I need to begin practicing, myself. One of the things that has always made me feel insecure, is the amount of hair that I have on my back and shoulders. There have been a couple of times that I have gone through the pain of getting my back waxed, because I hate the amount of hair. While delivering mail in the SugarHouse area of Salt Lake, I became good friends with everybody's favorite gay florist, Sean. First off, he has the coolest name in the world, and second off, he was just a great guy. He was the one person that continually told me that I should be comfortable with who I am. He's a hairy guy as well, so it isn't unfounded, what he was telling me. So, this lesson is for me, as well as anyone who needs to let go of the social pressures of trying to be beautiful. Beauty comes from WITHIN. Just as Christopher Guest pointed out how Jessica Tandy was the most beautiful woman in the room, because she was the most genuine, we can all find happiness in being who we are... already. Not to mention the thousands of dollars that we can save on cosmetic procedures!

So, in closing, my challenge for you, is to find a way to become completely content with who you are. If you need to do the "Stewart Smalley" (Al Franken's great character on SNL, back in the late 80's-early 90's) thing, and look at yourself in the mirror, continually repeating to yourself how beautiful you are, then DO IT! If reading a book about positive thinking is what is right for you, then DO IT! If a simple meditation is what will work for you, then DO IT! And know that any preaching I am currently doing, is directed towards ME, as well. Me and my hairy, hairy back... and shoulders... and chest. Yeah, it'll take some work for me, too.

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