Question ?

"Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers."

-Voltaire

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

-Dr. Seuss

Question Game

Over the years I have noticed that the easiest way to get to know someone is to play "the question game" especially if you don't get to see that person much and are texting. Most people I know like to play this game as a way to get to know someone better. Sometimes people have a hard time thinking up original and good questions... so I have assembled a list here of 200 questions that you can use when you are playing the question game and making conversation. If you have more to add, please feel free to comment on this post! You can never have enough questions.

1. Do you like to use Post-it notes?
2. Do you have freckles?
3. What is your biggest pet peeve?
4. Do you dance even if there's no music playing?
5. What is something people tend to gloss over when it comes to you that you wish people would know?
6. What is your favorite material possession?
7. What is the least innocent thing you've done?
8. What is your song of the week?
9. What do you dunk a chicken nugget in?
10. What is your favorite food?
11. What is your favorite drink?
12. Who was the last person you kissed/last person who kissed you?
13. How old were you when you got your first kiss?
14. Can you change the oil on a car?
15. Favorite kind of sandwich?
16. Best thing to eat for breakfast?
17. What is your usual bedtime?
18. When you were a kid, what did you dress up for during Halloween?
19. What is your favorite love story?
20. How many languages can you speak?
21. Are you stubborn?
22. What are your fears?
23. Do you ever sing in the car?
24. Are you a good singer?
25. What are your talents (and secret talents)?
26. Do you ever sing in the shower?
27. Have you ever fired a gun?
28. When was the last time you had your picture taken by a photographer?
29. What is your dream job?
30. Describe your dream house.
31. Do you ever have a de-ja-vu feeling?
32. What was your first concert?
33. If you could see any band/singer (dead or alive) in concert, who would it be?
34. What do you wear to bed?
35. Do you ever cry?
36. What makes you cry?
37. When was the last time you cried?
38. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
39. What was the last concert you saw?
40. Are you patient?
41. Do you want a DJ, band, or your own music playing at your wedding?
42. Have you ever won a contest (what was it)?
43. Have you ever had surgery?
44. What is the best room for a fireplace?
45. Who was your high school crush?
46. Where do you want to get married?
47. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
48. Do you want kids?
49. What is your favorite color?
50. Least favorite food?
51. Favorite number?
52. How old were you when you had your first relationship and how long did it last?
53. Have you ever had your heart broken?
54. Who was the last person you saw?
55. Who do you trust most in your life?
56. What is your favorite book (books)?
57. What is your favorite eye color?
58. Favorite hair color?
59. Favorite poet?
60. Favorite quote?
61. Favorite movie(s)?
62. What are your favorite TV shows?
63. Who has hurt you the most in your life?
64. Worst tragedy in life?
65. What was the best day of your life (so far)?
66. Have you ever been told someone loved you (besides family)?
67. Are you happy with where you are relationship wise right now?
68. Do you believe in love at first sight?
69. What is your dream honeymoon?
70. Was yesterday fun?
71. Do you believe that the last person you kissed still cares about you?
72. What were you doing at 1 in the morning yesterday?
73. Are you a jealous person?
74. Who was the last person you hugged?
75. Do you have any drugs in your bedroom (prescription, OTC, or other)?
76. What's the last movie you watched?
77. What annoys you?
78. Who is your celebrity crush?
79. Are you friends with your most recent ex?
80. Three thoughts going on in your head right now?
81. Does anything on your body hurt?
82. Where did you meet the last person you kissed?
83. What always makes you feel better when you're upset?
84. If you could have one superpower what would it be?
85. What are your strengths?
86. Weaknesses?
87. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
88. What is your kissing fantasy?
89. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
90. 5 years ago, where did you see yourself now?
91. What were you like as a child? Quiet, outgoing, bratty...?
92. What is one thing you could not live without?
93. What is the most beautiful thing in the world to you?
94. What was your favorite vacation?
95. What is your favorite childhood memory?
96. What is the best present you have ever received?
97. What are your regrets?
98. What is your favorite way to chill out?
99. What do you consider your most admirable quality?
100. Great achievement?
101. What's your favorite kind of cheese?
102. What is something you would never ever do?
103. Favorite place to visit?
104. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
105. How do you handle change?
106. What makes you unique?
107. What was the last book you read?
108. Dream car?
109. What kind of qualities in people do you dislike?
110. Dog or cat?
111. Love or money?
112. What is your worst habit?
113. What would you do if you won the lottery?
114. What is your favorite clothing store?
115. Hot or cold?
116. What do you look for in a partner?
117. Favorite gum?
118. What is your favorite smell?
119. Favorite candy?
120. What is your idea of the perfect date?
121. What is your middle name?
122. When is your birthday?
123. Favorite season?
124. Favorite weather?
125. Comfort food?
126. Favorite ice cream?
127. What is your favorite music/bands/singers?
128. What is the most played song on your iPod?
129. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
130. What is your favorite form of exercise?
131. Are you allergic to anything?
132. What sound do you love?
133. If you could stay a certain age forever, how old would that be?
134. If you knew the world was ending in 2012, what would you do differently?
135. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
136. Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?
137. What would you name the autobiography of your life?
138. Have you ever had anything bad happen to you that turned out for the best?
139. What was the last movie or TV show that made you tear up?
140. What's the hardest thing you've ever done?
141. What do you miss most about being a kid?
142. Do you have any siblings? What are their names/ages?
143. When was the last time you were nervous?
144. What story does your family always tell about you?
145. What's something I don't know about you but should?
146.  Are you a morning or night person?
147. If life is so short, why do we do so many things don't like and like so many things that we don't do?
148. What's one thing you have not done but want to? What's holding you back?
149. Do you feel like you've lived this day a hundred times before?
150. If today was the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?
151. What worries you most about the future?
152. If you had a friend that spoke to you in the same way you speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?
153. What impact do you want to leave on the world?
154. What do you do with the majority of your money?
155. What do you wish that you didn't know?
156. Do you think you were born in the right era?
157. Write me a Haiku about anything?
158. What are some of your nicknames?
159. What was your first job?
160. Do people praise you for your looks?
161. What's the cutest thing someone has ever done for you?
162. What were your favorite cartoons growing up?
163. If you had a choice, would you like to have been given another life?
164. Describe your dream wedding?
165. How tall are you?
166. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
167. Do you write?
168. What was the best year of your life?
169. What was the worst year of your life?
170. What are your hobbies?
171. What does it mean to have courage?
172. If you could have three wishes, what would you wish for (excluding unlimited wishes)?
173. Has anyone close to you passed away?
174. What is a quality you admire most in others?
175. If you could eliminated one type of insect permanently from the earth, what would it be?
176. If you could have any room in the world be your bedroom, which room would you choose?
177. If you could have the staring role in any movie already made, which movie would it be?
178. Describe an activity you think is truly romantic.
179. Do you squeeze the middle of the toothpaste or roll it?
180. What do you do if you can't sleep at night?
181. Do you save old greeting cards, notes, and letters or do you throw them away?
182. Whose autographs have you collected?
183. Do you get homesick easily?
184. What is your favorite game?
185. Do you wish you were famous?
186. How often do you get sick?
187. What's the craziest belief you had as a child?
188. Hugs or kisses?
189. What is the most embarrassing moment of your life?
190. What sound drives you crazy?
191. Who is the smartest person you know?
192. What do you think about before you go to sleep at night?
193. Are you ticklish?
194. Who do you run to when something bad happens?
195. Are you good at multitasking?
196. What's something that amazes you?
197. Are you usually early or late?
198. If you could change one major problem in this world, what would it be?
199. What are your favorite types of clothes and shoes to wear?
200. Do you believe in fate?

Be.

 

Dear you, 

I am doing something major. I'm unbelievably nervous with this post. It's completely new to me. I've never publicly shared my fiction writing on this blog or with anyone but my closest friend Brie. She hasn't even read this story. This is a first to all of you and me! Be is a fictional novel I am writing. I am almost finished and have it all completed in my mind. This portion I'm going to let you read is just a small chapter in the middle of the story. The story is first person POV with different people and their points of view. This chapter is one of the lead character's (Atticus Wilson) POV. The other main character in this scene is Izzelle Finch (Atticus' best friend and next door neighbor). It's a very very very rough draft. The story and plot is explained in another post called "Be" so fill free to search for it if you'd like to discover the plot. The pictures above just sort of give you a feel of the setting and mood of the following chapter. Now the reason I am posting this, is because I WANT FEEDBACK. If you hate it or love it or would change anything or take anything away. Please! Tell me what you think! If you read this, I am serious I want to know how you feel about it. Please leave me a comment or send me an e-mail via Facebook or chrichar@isu.edu with your feedback. I know there are probably numerous grammatical errors, etc, but it's a rough draft. So here it is! I hope you like it or take something from it. 

BE

Atticus

                 Do you ever wish you could be someone else? Generally most of us would want to be someone famous or someone you admire. I wished I was Anton. He had the world. He got the best Christmas present conceivable, all that I wanted for Christmas… for forever. A green eyed monster raged within me. I envied Anton with every cell in my body, every fiber of my being, even though he was a jerk. In the end, he got the girl.

            He’d already kissed Izzie more times than I care to remember in the wretched play and now on Christmas Eve night, he would be dancing with Izzie in his arms at Summer Morgan’s annual, lame might I add, Christmas Ball. I could be there with Jocelyn. Josie begged me to go, and truth be told, I wanted to attend… just not with her. This infuriated her. I was brutally honest with her, as I am with everyone. She ended up breaking up with me for Jonah, but it didn’t faze me. I didn’t care for her in the first place.

            Josie and I had some good times, but I had greater times with Izzie, and Izzie wasn’t even my girlfriend. Now here I was all alone on Christmas Eve, pathetically moping around feeling sorry for myself. I glanced at my clock on the wall. Ironically, the time read 11:11. I was one of those people who made a wish. I made the same wish I’d been making for years. It hadn’t come true, who knew if or when it would, but I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and made the wish. Then I made a mental note to try and find the origin behind the 11:11 thing.

            My parents were with Izzie’s in another city at some fancy party as always. Harper was sleeping peacefully downstairs. Every other Christmas Eve was the same, minus this one because it didn’t include Izzie. Normally, Izzie and I would be sitting in front of my fireplace sipping white hot chocolate (Izzie’s choice), listening to Christmas carols from my Ipod. Izzie’s favorite Christmas song was “This Christmas”. It had been for as far back as I could remember. Mine was the joke version of “Jingle Bells” or “December is for Cynics”. My reasoning being these songs were humorous and sarcastic. I never understood why Izzie loved her song so much. I plugged in my Ipod which contained as many versions of “This Christmas” as I could find. I pushed repeat and listened to it over and over and over sung by everyone from Beyonce to Justin Bieber. What happened to me? To Izzie? To everything?

            1 in 5,000 North American lobsters are born bright blue. I should make a restaurant called Blue Lobster and put Red Lobster out of business. Blue is better than red hands down.

            What did that have to do with anything? Nothing. It just proves how crazy I was going.

            I paced the room. Maybe I should just sleep. No. There was no way I’d be able to. My mind wouldn’t let me. I walked absentmindedly over to the telescope Izzie gave me. I looked into the lens and zoomed in on the dock. Snow was rapidly falling. It was like magic and mesmerized me. No two snowflakes are alike on the outside but on the inside they are just water, all of them, and will eventually melt. However, snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.

            A figure suddenly appeared in view. I zoomed in closer and realized it was Izzie! She rushed to the end of the dock. She seemed frantic. I could see her red ballet flats teetering near the edge. Her red dress shined brightly in the light of the bay. She must be freezing! She was absolutely breathtaking. A smile slowly played across my face which quickly turned into a frown when Izzie jumped into the lake! Was I seeing things? She couldn’t swim, deep water terrified her. She didn’t sleepwalk. One word popped into my head: suicide. My heart stopped cold in my chest.

            According to suicide statistics, Monday is the favored day to do it. Firearms were the preferred method of most. It was Saturday, but what day does it matter when someone is committing such a horrible act you shouldn’t give a damn about anything but saving them!

            Without another thought, I ran faster than I ever had to the dock. I nearly tripped down the stairs. I flew out the door, not bothering to close it. I didn’t know everything about hypothermia, but I knew enough. I knew it was all about time. A person couldn’t last very long in such cold temperatures. It was freezing outside. The lake was nearly frozen in some spots. The water had to be below zero. Plus, Izzie couldn’t swim to save her life, not that she would try, obviously. This truly was a life or death situation.

            I stopped for a moment when I reached the edge of the dock. My head was spinning, racing, zooming, raging, wild. I frantically unzipped my hoodie and threw it aside. I pulled my shoes off and tossed them in the air. My heart was pounding. I was reluctant to jump in. What if I died trying to save Izzie?

            I jumped in.

            Oh well, I loved Izzie. I’d die for her. Life was meaningless without her. As I submerged into the water, I felt like I was going to die. The word cold doesn’t do justice to the feeling that rushed through every nerve in my body. I swam through the piercing pain, diving further and further, even though the water felt like a thousand blades stabbing me, a thousand bullets ripping me to shreds. I seemed to have super human strength. I’d heard of women who picked up cars to save their babies. Their love broke the limits of human strength. I never knew it was true. That love had no limits.

            Every thought was of Izzie. I blocked out the painful cold as I moved down the icey depths of the lake. It stung and almost paralyzed me. For the first time in my life, I understood the anguish and bravery of the Titanic survivors. I put meaning to the phrase “if you jump, I jump.” Leonardo DiCaprio had nothing but looks on me. I used all of my strength to move, although it felt as if the lake would swallow us both.

            Suddenly, I felt her body bump into mine and I grabbed her. I wrapped my nearly numb arms around her and pushed like hell to get to the surface of the lake before we turned into human popsickles. We wouldn’t die in this lake. Not if it was up to me. Finally, against all odds, we emerged. I pushed Izzie up first out of the water onto the wooden dock. Then I pulled myself up. My goosebumps, goosebumps, goosebumps, had goosebumps.

            I fell over next to her seemingly lifeless body, breathing harder or hardly breathing. Moving was painful. I’d never felt so weak. I had to save her. I sat up and knelt by her. I rushed to administer CPR to Izzie. Her lips were like ice against mine. I never in my wildest dreams, or nightmares, pictured our lips meeting for the first time like this. I breathed the bitter frigid air for both of us. Then I pressed my hands to her chest and pushed, frantically pumping to get her heart beating. I was fearful my lips would get stuck to hers like the kid on that movie “A Christmas Story” who got his tongue stuck to a pole.

            I lay my head on her chest listening for a heartbeat that wasn’t there. NO! I worked faster, harder, breathing and pushing.

            “No! No! No! You can’t do this!” my voice shook. “I need you. I love you Iz.” It came out a whisper.

            What happened next can only be described as a miracle.

            Izzie started coughing up water. She was alive! I collapsed beside her. Each breath felt like I was swallowing icicles. I shook violently as did Izzie. I felt frozen to the deck and too tired to move, but we had to get inside. In one swift motion, I scooped her in my arms and stood up. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I hurried to my house. I got inside the door and closed it with my foot. I was still in shock and dismay trying to process everything. I couldn’t tell how cold I was. All I cared about was that Izzie was alive.

            Where was her brain? Why did she do this? She was so intelligent. She had a wonderful life. She was beautiful beyond description. She had everything going for her. Jellyfish don’t have brains, but boy or girl do they sting. Izzie sure stung me. She stunned me. How did I not see this coming? Weren’t there warning signs of suicide? Maybe I was overreacting and Izzie hadn’t just been trying to take her life. There had to be some logical explanation to this illogical situation.

            Izzie trembled in my arms as I carried her up the stairs to my room. She was conscious. That was a good sign. Still she probably had a mild to moderate case of hypothermia. That was dangerous if left untreated. We both needed to get warm.

            “Atticus! I’m… s-so… c-c-cold.” Izzie stuttered and coughed.

            I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. It was as if all words were frozen inside of me. I wondered if people could talk in Alaska or Greenland, or at least how they managed to get the words out since it’s generally freezing in those places.

            I stumbled into my room, still holding Izzie. I used my back to close the door. I gently sat Izzie down on my bed. She continued to shiver forcefully. Our skin was infected with goosebumps. I noticed I trembled too. I cleared my throat. I went into my closet and grabbed two pairs of sweats, two T-shirts, and a sweatshirt.

            I handed one of each to Izzie. She took them, hands shaking.

            “Izzie.” I finally said, kneeling down in front of her.

            “You are suffering from hypothermia. You need to get out of that wet dress and put these on. You can go and change in my bathroom or I can help you if you need it.”

            She nodded and stood up like a zombie.

            “I think… I think I can manage.” She stuttered and went into my bathroom. She shut the door and a few minutes later reemerged. I took her place in my bathroom. I hung my wet clothes next to hers on my shower rod. Then I took a deep breath and came back into my room. I felt much better and warmer. Izzie was sitting in a chair still shivering.

            I found two blankets in my closet. I spread one down on the floor in front of the fireplace. I sat down on it. Izzie followed suite and sat next to me. I wrapped the other blanket around her shoulders. We were inches apart but it felt like miles, light years even. “This Christmas” was still playing. The situation was so dilapidated.

            Izzie gazed into the fire while I gazed at her. I could see the flames reflecting in her eyes. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. It was as if I was afraid that if I did, she might try to off herself again. That she would just disappear. It suddenly felt harder to breathe than it had in the lake. The silence was tearing me apart it was so loud.

            “Rose! You’re so stupid. Why did you do that, huh? You’re so stupid, Rose. Why did you do that? Why?” I broke the barrier, cracked the ice.

            It was like the fire in Izzie had burned out.

            “I want you to know Izzie that I’m not going to interrogate you… and I don’t think any differently of you, but if you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. I always have been and always will be.”           

            Her eyes remained glued to the fire like a magnet.

            “By the time we see stars, they are dead.” Izzie said in a monotone voice.

            Death…where was she going with this?

            “That’s impressive Izzie. Did you know that children grow fastest in the springtime?” I replied, desperately trying to lighten things up.

            Izzie laughed and with that laugh came a smile I had never been more thrilled to see.

            “Atticus.”

            I loved it when she said my name. The way the words formed on those lips I ached to kiss.

            “That’s what I like about you. Life comes easy for you, it’s so natural. I wonder what it would be like to be a star. They don’t have feelings. Their life is mapped out for them. They help guide us and are beautiful. Everyone loves them…” Izzie explained and then began to sob. She buried her head in her knees. I ran my fingers up and down her back trying to relieve her of the sadness.

            What did she mean by that? I was lost and upset, but I had to stay strong for her, for the both of us.

            “Izzie. Life isn’t about perfection. It’s about making every moment of each day count… not wasting it wishing you were someone else or dwelling on what you lack. What you aren’t makes you what you are… who you are supposed to be. It’s about being the best you can, doing the best you can, making a few mistakes inevitably here and there, but learning, growing, loving, and moving forward.” I responded gently.

            Izzie didn’t say anything. She just kept crying. I hated seeing her like this. It burned my eyes watching her suffer, worse than hers probably felt gazing into the fire.

            “I spent all day long trying to look great for Anton and the party! I wasn’t near good enough! We were dancing. I was on top of the world and all he wanted to do was use me. It all fell down. He took my hand in his and led me to a vacant room in Summer’s house and started to kiss me. It was great. Then he pushed me onto a bed and… tried to undo my dress. I shoved him away and refused. I yelled stop and no! He grabbed me and tried again, but I hit him. So then he stood up and said fine, he’d find Claire or Summer, and as he was leaving the room, he turned, glared at me, and smirked, “Fine Izzelle, you’re not worth it anyways!’ I’ll never be what everyone wants me to be, never be good enough. Just being me makes no one happy.” Izzie cried, tears coming down like rain.

            I was unbelievably proud of her for standing up to Anton, staying strong to her ideals and values, and not giving in, not giving herself to him. I also wanted to kill him. However, I couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. Was she crazy? How could she say that she’d never be good enough when she was everything to me?

            “If it helps, you’re number one in my book.” I admitted.

            For the first time that night, she met my eyes.

            “Yeah right! You have to say that because we’re best friends. It’s in the job description. You’re just trying to make me feel better by lying and, might I add, you’re failing miserably.” She replied and turned away.

            “Izzie.” I gently pulled on her shoulder. She faced me, still silently crying.

            An overwhelming feeling shot through every part of my body, racing like a comet in the sky, spreading warmth and light and electricity through my blood, my bones, my skin. I had stared into the eyes of this girl for years, for my entire life, and it surprised me how suddenly this was a new experience now. It was like seeing her for the first time, yet knowing her forever.  

            “Yeah?” She asked.

            And then the truth came pouring out of me like her tears.

            “I… I-I’m not saying that because I am your best friend. I am saying it because I mean it, because I can’t hold it inside any longer. You’re the most amazing, beautiful girl in existence. Anton has no idea what he’s missing right now.” I whispered, reached for her hand, and laced my fingers through hers. She squeezed my hand. I ran my thumb around her soft skin in the shape of a heart.

            “Atticus, I feel like a hamster on one of those stupid wheels they run on! They race for hours every single day going absolutely nowhere only stopping to eat and sleep. That’s the sum of their existence and mine. They don’t have another option really, no control. That’s my fate. I’m alive, existing, but not going anywhere, not truly living.”  She confided in me, and I knew I was the only one she’d ever admitted this to.

            Now it all made sense… at least as much as it could.

            “Izzelle Finch you are going so many places and just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there. You can do anything! I know it. You could be the first female president or a teacher or a doctor or a model or just you. The sky is not the limit. You will go farther than the stars. Fate will lead you where you’re meant to go. You just have to trust it Izzie. You have to have faith. And promise me, promise me, that you’ll never ever even think about givingup again.” I meant it all.

            “I promise. Thank you for saving me… but do you really think so?” She finally asked.

            “I know it.” I stated firmly, not missing a beat.

            “You mean it?”

            “All of it.” I whispered and tightened my hold on her fingers.

            “That’s insane.”

            “Why?” I didn’t expect that.

            “Because… you’re the most incredible boy I’ve ever known.” She whispered and leaned her body in closer to mine. My heart lit up like the stars she always went on about.

            She smiled at me for the first time that night and then got her cute, confused look and frowned.

            “Does this mean what I think it does?” She asked, searching my eyes.

            “Mean what?”

            “That all along… I’ve had everything I’ve ever wanted living next door this whole time and never noticed. That I was searching for all the wrong guys in all the wrong places and it’s you, it’s always been you, where my heart belongs. The boy who completes me, you’ve been here the entire time.” She looked wonderstruck. Her eyes lit up as the truth coursed through her.

            Then she smiled, blushing.

            I grinned as I head the words I’d been waiting to hear my whole life.

            “Indeed it does. I’ve been waiting for you to recognize this painfully obvious fact.”

            “But wait! What happens if things don’t work out? What if I lose you, my love, and my best friend at the same time?” Izzie asked sincerely.

            “You won’t. I love you Iz. I will always be your best friend.”

            We locked eyes and it took my breath away.

            Then I glanced up over the fireplace.

            “Is that what I think it is?” I asked mischieviously.

            “What?” Izzie followed my gaze as I pointed at the mistletoe my mom put above my fireplace.

            “Mistletoe.” We both said in unison.

            “You know what that means…” I laughed.

            She got a total serious look on her face and let go of my hand.

            I was worried.

            Then she gave me that smile that vanished all of my fears.

            “Yes. But I don’t need a plant to tell me to kiss you.”

            Then she put her hands on either side of my face, leaned in, and kissed me.

            And at that precise moment, that wish I’d been making at 11:11, the wish I’d probably made 11,111,111 times, finally came true. 

Portion Distortion [Perception Deception]: The Ugly Truth & Our Duty to Stand up to "Beauty"

I wrote an essay for a college communications class a few years ago about digital enhancement in advertising, magazines, and the media. 

I think it is now more relevant than ever before... and sadly I believe unless we all stand up to society's unrealistic obsession with perfection and cruel, brutal judgment on the definition of beauty, then the problem will continue and lead to drastic consequences that are already occurring all around us in the form of unhealthy eating disorders, low self-esteem, self harm, bullying, stress, and sometimes suicide.

I commend Ashley Judd taking a stand and sharing her message and frustration with this. 

It's up to us to speak now.
You aren't ugly. Society is.

Here is my essay...

Magazines, the media, and ads shouldn't Photoshop images or should be required by law to state if they have digitally enhanced or retouched an image. They should be required to disclose this information or else it is deceptive and can lead to eating disorders and have negative repercussions on society. Photoshop digital enhancements are not only deceptive but unrealistic. They are a form of false advertising.

The definition of false advertising, according to the Dictionary of Law, is "the crime or tort of publishing, broadcasting, or otherwise publicly distributing and advertisement that contains an untrue, misleading, or deceptive representation or statement which was made knowingly or recklessly and with the intent to promote the sale of property, goods, or services to the public."

Jennifer Aniston said to Vanity Fair, "The media creates this wonderful illusion--but the amount of airbrushing that goes into those beauty magazines, the hours of hair and makeup. It's impossible to live up to because it's not real."

According to photographing editor Ken Harris, models can't even measure up to their own images. He explains every image you see has been worked on, but it's like magic. He covers his tracks to prevent being obvious that an image has been retouched.

Newsweek reports in their article "Picture Perfect" that "Retouching techniques that were once used mainly to erase blemishes or stray hairs have become tools for radical human body distortion, shrinking waists, and vanishing years, turning models and actresses into leggy dolls of literally inhuman proportions. Fashion, women's, and lifestyle publications may not admit it outright, but it's common knowledge within the industry that retouching and thinning models and celebrities is not just standard procedure, it's expected and often demanded." 

A Manhattan based photo editor, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of professional backlash, told Newsweek, "We're always stretching the models legs and slimming their thighs. Sometimes I feel like Frankenstein."

According to a 2004 global survey by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, "Several studies show that women feel worse about themselves after reading fashion magazines. An average girl today will see more than 77,000 advertisements by the time she's 12--and you can bet most of those have been retouched. If that girl is like 42 perfect of the population she'll want to be thinner by the time she's a third-grader, and by age 10--if she's like 81 percent of her peers--she'll be afraid of being fat."

Prevention Magazine reports, "A healthy weight for a woman who is 5' 9" is 129-169 pounds. An average 5' 9" model weight is somewhere around 110-115 pounds."

The New York Times states, "Boys as young as 10 are bulking up on steroids." As you can see this problem affects boys too.

U.S. News reported, "Most of us don't see our bodies digitally doctored and spend way too much time staring at ourselves in the mirror, comparing how we look to those "perfect" bodies that grace magazine covers. 1 in 10 partakes in behaviors such as bulimia, over exercising, skipping meals, abusing laxatives--eating disorders."

While lack of control, depression, and abuse do have an impact on eating disorders, the media plays an equally important role in pushing people to partake in these behaviors and should take responsibility. 

Newsweek reported in February 2009, "In response to the uproar over some well-published alterations of celebrities, through the trade groups that represent those publications, in both Britain and the United States, say they are considering voluntary codes outlining how far art directors can go. And late last month the National Assembly of France went a step further when it approved a bill that, if passed by the Senate, would make it a crime for anyone, from pro-anorexia websites to advertisers to editors, to publicly incite 'excessive thinness' or 'extreme dieting.'"

According to Rader, an eating disorder treatment clinic, "Following viewing images of female fashion models, seven out of ten women felt more depressed and angrier than prior to viewing the images. 80% of women who answered a People magazine survey responded that images of women on television and in the movies make them feel insecure."

Victoria Beckham, Mary Kate Olsen, and Karen Carpenter are a few among the many celebrities who attribute the media and advertisements to their eating disorders.

Advertisements that have been digitally retouched do more harm than good. Women and men alike would like to see more "average" and real people on their magazine ads, covers, and media.

The 2004 Dove Survey, mentioned earlier, found that "68 percent of women strongly agree that, 'the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can't ever achieve.' 76 percent wish female beauty was portrayed in the media as being made up of more than just physical attractiveness.

"75 percent went on to say that they wish the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness, including all ages, shapes, and sizes."

Advertising executive Christy Turlington explained to Elle magazine, "Advertising is so manipulative. There's not one picture in magazines today that's not airbrushed. It's funny. When women see pictures of models in fashion magazines and say, 'I can never look like that,' what they don't realize is that no one can look that good without the help of a computer."
Photoshop (or other photo editing software) either needs to be banned or the ads and pictures that use such imaging retouching tools need to disclose that they have been used to ensure consumers (men and women everywhere) are not viewing false advertisement and will no longer suffer from this perception deception.

EXAMPLES of Photoshop (Before & After)

The definition of beautiful is YOU.
There are 7+ billion people in this world but only one YOU.
Be the best you that you can be.
Beauty isn't just on the outside, it's inside of you, it's your heart.
As you can see, what the world calls beautiful is completely distorted... in fact, it's not attainable because it's not real!
You can exercise and be healthy, that's beautiful. Eating disorders aren't beautiful nor healthy. They are destructive and can lead you down a path where you have to keep getting skinnier until finally you disappear (die). 
The people that matter will love you no matter what. 
They will think you are beautiful no matter what.
You are beautiful no matter what anyone says.
How do you feel beautiful in a world like the one we live in?
How to be happy with yourself?
STOP COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS.
You are one of a kind... embrace your individuality. 
Someone somewhere thinks you are the most beautiful person in the world.
Everything has beauty, just not everyone sees it. 
Be[you]tiful

Titanic-100 Year Anniversary

I adore this movie. It's seriously one of my favorites. I know it's overrated to most people but it will never get old to me. It inspires me. Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet are two of my favorite actors.  
Kate Winslet expressed my feelings about it completely: 
"One thing that's very important to me in life is, through having a relationship with somebody and loving that person and being allowed to feel the whole emotion of love despite all of the risks, you can find out who you are. And when Rose meets Jack she cuts through all the class and money nonsense and connects with something real and alive and passionate in his soul. And when I read the script I was in floods of tears, because it takes you to the point where you would do anything--absolutely anything--to stop that ship from sinking."
Things I learned from Titanic
-Jack Dawson taught me how to spit like a man.
-Life is a gift, make each day count.
-A woman's heart is an ocean full of secrets.
-I want a man like Jack Dawson.
-That Rose mirrors my feelings about my life, "It's the world around me and all the people in it and all the while I feel like I am standing in a crowded room, screaming at the top of my lungs and no one even looks up and the inertia of my life plunging ahead and me powerless to stop it."
-That your heart will go on.
-Nothing on earth can tear love apart or come between you.
-That I wish I lived in those days or that people continued some of the ways of those days (i.e,  the fashions--the dresses are absolutely stunning and breathtaking, the men dressed nicely in suits, and the shoes and jewelry are gorgeous, the manners and chivalry that Jack has, how polite everyone was, etc)
-Love > Money
-And so much more, but those are the main ones off the top of my head.
     One of the most amazing experiences was going to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in November 2010 in Las Vegas. It was incredible. I would recommend it to anyone who loves Titanic. Words don't do it justice. They have a replica of the deck and the grand staircase and the rooms of first and third class passengers. Walking through a replica of the hallway felt so real and it took my breath away. You get to touch an iceberg and get a ticket of an actual passenger and at the end you find out if your person lived or died. 

This is a picture of one of my bedroom walls. It's part of my Titanic collage. :)

This was my boarding pass from the exhibition. I got to take a picture on the grand staircase! That's me, but it's very blurry! All I'm missing is my Jack ;)