The Quest for Perfection

On this blog I've mentioned more than a few negative experience I had as a preacher's kid. Living in the spotlight as a permanent role model was definitely difficult at times, especially since it was something that I never chose to do. Up until now, though, I've failed to mention one of the biggest perks of growing up in conservative, Charismatic-ish circles:

I didn't grow up absorbing as many of the mainstream media's ideas of what a woman ought to be, physically speaking. Part of this fashion-apathy came from the church, where spiritual and moral development was  more important than the way one dressed or did their hair.*

Sure, I worried about many things growing up, but my Teenage Angst (tm) was almost never of the "I'm not pretty (enough)!" variety. Sometimes I wore makeup and jewelry. Sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I shaved my legs. Sometimes I didn't.

These things didn't matter very much to me. I had (and have) a lifetime of library books to read, of ideas to discuss, of poems to write, of theological theories to deconstruct. I don't think it's wrong to invest energy in one's appearance, it's just wasn't something that I grew up spending a great deal of time on in the sense that one may have the urge to buy new clothes every season or refuse to leave the house without makeup on. It was never something that interested me or most of my spiritual or social mentors.

Earlier today, my dental hygienist decided to extol the virtues of "invisible braces**" while she cleaned my teeth. Her sister had used this product, as had the majority of her coworkers. She, too, couldn't wait to correct a few minor imperfections in her smile. She admitted that the only reason I would want to pay for the treatment would be for cosmetic reasons. My teeth are in no medical or physical danger from their alignment.

I listened to her stories about people who had paid for these teeth aligners politely, which is a very good thing to do when the person speaking has sharp dental instruments poking close to one's gums. ;) I didn't quite know how to tell her, though, that I was really only interested i preserving the health of my mouth.

Perhaps I didn't consume enough fashion and beauty advice growing up, but it doesn't bother me that to have a space between my two front teeth or to know that a few other teeth are slightly off-kilter. I'd never tell another person to ignore a cosmetically-imperfect mouth if it was causing them distress. Everyone is different, and I'm sure that these treatments are a godsend for some people.

But I am deeply content just the way I am, and for that worldview I am grateful.

*Unless they wore jeans to church or got a tattoo. But I'll leave that for another post. ;)

**I won't mention the brand name, but it's a way to straighten one's teeth that involves of a series of clear aligners.