A person I know recently posted some pictures of a scantily dressed young woman pole dancing at a breast cancer event. While I’m sure it takes talent and upper body strength to pole dance, I found myself feeling sorry for that girl, and for the bad memories the pics conjured of my teen years.
It was exactly those images that I wrestled with because I thought that’s what I had to look like for guys to like me. I put a huge emphasis on physical looks and completely ignored my self-esteem and self-worth. It was only after my teen pregnancy that I figured out that my worth as a woman had nothing to do with my physical appearance or the number of notches on my bedpost. I had to dig a little deeper.
Maybe I’m old fashioned and need to get off my soapbox. But I have to think that if that girl had any self-worth, she would find a way to help raise money for breast cancer with her clothes on.
Self-worth
Rebecca Carpenter, copy editor and author 