Looking around this morning I was struck by the great diversity of people around me. This, follows on from the discussion of races, and how they evolve, settle in to new countries, or not, of yesterday's blog. It is fascinating, as an artist, and a people watcher, to see such faces. Just the way these people look, you can see just how the characters in Harry Potter came to be. I know that J. K. Rowling wrote at least some of the stories sitting in a cafe. Basing some of the characters on the people she saw. She liked to sit amongst the public, just as I am doing today. I do it because I like noise, and bustle about me as I write. I don't know why she wrote in such locations, and it's immaterial really. The more I look, the more I see to fascinate. Some people out here, are so interesting. The character, race, mood, all sorts, shows on their faces. They really do come in every shape, and colour. The complexity of faces, and figures are just amazing. Perhaps not nice of me to say either, but the majority of them are ugly, or should I say 'have interesting faces', lived in faces, far more of those, than the beautiful, or even the attractive. To be honest, only a few in the streets, have regular, or classical features. You can also see that most people do the best they can to present themselves as attractive, or even just clean. I think we all like to look as smart as possible. To present ourselves as well as possible. As for the many unusual appearances around me, it's quite thought provoking, in all sorts of directions.
I don't mind that they are not at all good looking, because it brings you back to the real world. You know, it's so easy to get the impression that the whole world is ultra beautiful. You tend to see photos of people at their most glamorous, especially, the rich, and famous. In magazines, in films, on tv. Even the ordinary person, can photo shop, or pose endlessly on Facebook or somewhere. Then, you go to a little town cafe, and begin to see that's not the case at all. You know, most, are the kind of faces that would lend themselves easily to caricatures. They are more than half way there already. It would take very little imagination, to make them into all sorts of scary, and unusual characters. OK I know, it's been done already. The possibilies are still endless, still out there.
Which, brings me to youngsters, and their vision of themselves. Their vision of the world, as we are presenting it to them perhaps. With the trends today, it's bound to somewhat warped, isn't it. I think a lot about the young, perhaps just as Mother, and as an X teacher, it is a subject that interests me. How best, we might do things. How best, to help the young survive in this world. To survive with sometimes, such a skewed vision of life, and ambitions presented to them through the media. The world moves so quickly, everyone is so rushed. From the traffic, to the pace of change with communications, especially. On top of that, theirs is the vision of a world full of beautiful people. People they are bound to aspire to, and how can they do it? Most of us, are a part of the great mass of ordinary people I saw today. It's bound to leave many youngsters, without enough life experience, feeling less than worthy. Where do they fit in, how do they aspire to these paragons of beauty. Where do they find their sense of self. How can they measure up.
Teenagers, the young, even children as young as nine, or ten today have such sophisticated visions of how they should appear. How they should look, act, react, or aim for. With short skirts, gleaming hair, perfectly presented faces, straight teeth, the lot. I must admit, it shocks me, to see how some work on their appearance to go out. When I was their age, I was sitting up a tree, or running with the dog, or perhaps making hides. I may have been just as aware, perhaps. I just didn't have the clothes, or the makeup, or the places to go. Nor all of the beautiful people before my eyes.
My father went mad when I tried to wear makeup at fifteen. His comment was "take that muck off your face". OK, perhaps not the most enlightened response, but I got the idea quickly enough that it wasn't acceptable, or necessary. He was quite clever too. He said, "It will give you spots, and bad skin like your Auntie." Well, no one wants that...do they? Whether because of that, or not, I never did develop a love affaire with makeup. Only with mascara, as with fair lashes, a girl has to do something to show she has some. I still won't appear without mascara, bit sad, hey.
There needs to something for the youngsters, to redress the balance. Something other than the dreadful soaps, I mean. My other bug bear, is the dreadfully common people shown on soaps. The way they talk, the way they dress, how they scream, and fight, and cheat, lie, and even murder. It seems to an obsession with too many people. It's not the way, you want to see your children behave, or your neighbours act. We need something to foster, good aims. Pure living, without getting evangelical, or sect like about it.
We need to return to being good to each other, to being honest, and reliable. We need the children, and young adults to see it tool show the, the virtue of being faithful, and trustworthy. How to be ordinary, good hearted, ordinary looking people. Just like 90+% of the population already are. Not fashion plates, with empty heads, andscheming, cheating, lives.
Bring back normality.....
Please..
Mmm...m strange, but true
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