Am I vain?
Of course not.
Would anyone who is vain,
rarely wear make up?
Or apply just a small amount of hair gel,
to ensure the messed up I don’t care look.
Spend no time at all,
choosing clothes that don’t look too dressy,
but are just so “me”.
Have nails which are unpolished,
prefer to go barefoot,
or wear shoes they can run in at any time?
Vain women on the other hand,
take hours getting ready,
have long flowing locks of usually blonde hair,
wear copious amounts of make up,
have red lips,
excellent cleavage,
wear skirts or dresses,
and always high heels.
This whole look of mine is natural.
It is not the “look at me I’m beautiful” look.
Definitely not a classic feminine look.
It is just me.
However last night I was forced,
to take a good look at my perceived lack of vanity.
Something I was proud of.
I was forced to ask myself,
“Am I vain?”.
Last night I went to bed,
and as usual reached for my book.
I opened the page I was reading,
and all I could see was blur!
I knew there was perfectly readable script there,
but I could not make out one word.
This has been happening now for some weeks,
but I could usually make out the occasional word.
This time I could see nothing.
So I did what I often do,
I rubbed my eyes,
and held that book at arms length.
Yes that worked.
The words were coming into focus again.
Well the majority of the words were,
and the rest I just filled in.
However within a short time,
it became too much effort.
My arms became tired,
I think I need longer ones,
and my brain was slowing down at filling in appropriate words.
Reluctantly I put my book away.
I lay there defeated.
I wanted to read my book.
Then it hit me like slap.
Am I vain?
I refuse to wear glasses that only my husband would see.
My reasons are,
I am too young.
This face does not suit glasses.
I am not a glasses in bed kinda girl!
As I lay there mulling things over,
I realized my tousled hair and “natural” look,
are not as a result of not caring.
They are a well thought out look,
which do in fact take a small amount of time and effort to achieve.
I am not just me, I have a “look”.
It is not a very fashionable, pretty, feminine look,
but I do definitely have “a look”
I settled to sleep eventually,
having realized the painful truth.
I am just as vain as any other woman.
I just take less time to get myself ready,
before presenting myself to the world saying,
“look at me, I am fabulous!”.
photo credit: Joel Bedford via photopin cc
photo credit: Corie Howell via photopin <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-
photo credit: jamelah via photopin cc
My thoughts on a page. 
So true we all have little things that we are vain about and while some are not as vain as others (for instance me…I rock the same sorta look you have going) we do tend to get vain about things like…glasses, grey hairs, ect. I have already informed my hubby the first day I find a gray hair is the day I have a monthly appointment at the hair salon…and so I guess for me, I am most vain about my hair! Great post!
Yes I get the hair thing. I went fairly grey at 25. I blame the rearing of my first child on it. Since then I have dyed it all sorts of colours which I suppose I would not have done if I had my normal colour.
But glasses…. I am struggling!
I had glasses as a child and loathed them, refused to wear them…I always said I didn’t have the face for them as well! So i do understand that part. Once I started college, my courses were so heavy I happily got reading glasses and after hearing several times how adorable they were or sophisticated (depending on who was talking) I got over my abhorrence of them. I don’t ever see me backing down from the hair thing, since I lost so much of my hair from cancer, its a hard thing not to be vain about. I am sure you will learn to love them though, after all reading is more important!
Yes it is the reading that is killing me. I never mind glasses it is just the association they have in my mind with ageing that is getting to me.
I did not realize you had had cancer.
Had it, now it’s back…third battle in ten years…it’s no fun!
Not reading would kill me, so when I got mine, I went in and picked out the glasses that I liked the best without trying them on…and I still wear them every day to read 🙂
I hope you are able to work through the glasses thing, I am sure that is hard! I have chunky irish green framed glasses, with a clover on the side, lol
Yes maybe fun glasses is the way to go. I am so sorry to hear about your cancer. Very best wishes. You know where I am if you ever want to just check in. I have email too. Hugs your way. 🙂
You will eventually have to give up and get glasses if you want to continue blogging! I myself have not worn makeup in about 25 years. My friends and family tell me I have great skin and that leads me to believe that maybe makeup is aging the wearers. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants!
It sure would. I might have to resort to blogging in a cupboard so no one will see me. It will give a whole new meaning to coming out! 🙂
You’re not vain. You’re just in denial about needing glasses! 😉
Last night I gave in, I know I need them as I am missing reading so badly. But I am struggling with the idea of wearing glasses, or being seen wearing glasses if I am being really truthful!
I think we all are to some extent or other. Including men. As you so rightly put it, we’re all just vain about different things and reflect it in different ways. How about contacts?!x
I couldn’t even imagine making it so official as to organize contacts. I expect a quick trip to some store to buy magnifying glasses will be my first step.
I went to opticians last week for a check-up. I thought I might need reading glasses too. But I got a get-out-of-jail-free-card on that one for the next year. I was so proud that I didn’t need them although I’m 52. There’s vanity for you! And maybe a tiny bit of pathetic as well!x
I am so jealous. I had perfect vision up to a couple of months ago and now all of a sudden,,, Waaah!
You need to get down to the local library and order (in a conspiratorial whisper, accompanied by much furtive glancing over the shoulder), a copy of ‘The Joy of Specs’.as written by someone who is living proof of the validity of the old assertion “Stop that! You’ll go blind!”
Haha very good. I will go in tomorrow and order it! 🙂
At the risk of sounding sexist I have to say it is highly unusual to hear a woman make such an admission.
It is also coincidentla for me as I have myself been confronting my own vanity (of the middle aged male type) and have been considering writing about it.
I think these days any perceived stigma of wearing glasses is pretty much non-existent BTW.
I think we are all guilty not just women. My own husband is very relaxed about what he wears etc but I know he is not one bit happy that his hair has gone grey. I would be curious to know what your “vanity” is?
Glasses as such do not bother me, it is the reality that I am getting older and in need of glasses that really bothers me.
I think my vanity is multi-fold. I have in fact written my own post just now about that very thing. I did also mention your name in it with regard to how coincidental it was happening upon your post when I was thinking of writing my own on that very subject. So, at the risk of sounding like I am spruiking my own blog if you would care to read my post that might give some insight into my vanity.
Oh great I was hoping you would write it as I am intrigued to read it. Thanks a million for mentioning my post too. Very good of you.
That’s no problem at all – in fact I meant to say before – I hope you don’t mind me mentioning it…
I think there is a way of linking to someone elses post? Is that called a “pingback” or something? I must learn how to do that
I think if you put in the link to my post as an actual link it automatically comes up as a notification on my blog so you don’t have to do anything.
Ok I’ve done it (changed it to a link) and I think it works.
Cool! I’ve leanrt something new!
Yep your pingback has arrived!
I hit 40 and my arms needed to get longer. I then realised that the things I wanted to look at carefully (painting miniatures and embroidery) were such that if they were far enough away to be in focus, were too far away for me to be able to SEE. I gave such a WHOOT in the opticians when I got my glasses that I made the guy’s week.
As for being vain? I *ROCK* my glasses! 😉
This post has gone a long way towards changing my attitude. Ultimately I so want to be able to read and enjoy it. I would definitely need arm extensions if I was dealing with miniatures and embroidery.
You are off the hook! You are NOT vain. You are sad that your eyes have let you down. No one wants to admit their body parts are betraying them. It’s not vanity. It is sadness. It is denial. But mostly sadness.
Yes you are right. Waah waah waah!
I knew it.
Aw girl. Put those four eyes on and wear it proud. It’s not always an aging thing anyway to make you feel a bit better. Eyes are always changing-I’ve been rockin the glasses and contacts since I was 12 and the older I get, my prescription is actually getting better-you would think vice versa. Glasses are sexy and any man will tell you there’s something alluring about a woman sporting spectacles 8)
“something alluring” …. just heading to bed now. Where are those glasses so I can check this out!!!!:)
Glasses make the wearer look smart. In fact, I have considered a pair with just glass. Maybe it’s a case of wanting something because I don’t have to. Yet.
You know the old saying “Be careful what you wish for!”. 🙂
Just get yourself some sexy glasses! Ones you can wear with a cute pair of pastel granny panties! If you look good….go ahead and flaunt it….be vain:)
My husband doesn’t know the delights that lie ahead!
Oh my… I’ve started using reading glasses fairly recently after rejecting them for many, many years. I TOTALLY hate to admit it though, and especially not in my blog. Good for you!
Yes it was one of those will I tell moments, and I told! Maybe I will blow your cover on your blog. (joke in case you worry!):)
I indentified with this! My kids now laugh, take the food jar I’m holding at arms length and run to the other side of the kitchen with it. I’ll be needing specs too, soon- can’t live without reading in bed, either! As for being vain…. Hmm. i’ve always been a tomboy. I can’t stand the idea of going grey and have been dying it for the last ten years, but I don’t think it’s a beauty thing, it’s a “scared of getting old” thing.
My son said the same to me last night! Maybe you’re right.
I am your twin on the eye problem. Not giving in yet though…..
Hang in there. I even thought about a kindle so I could change the font!
I wear contacts… and the day will soon come when I need to change to glasses. Not vain, just that glasses are really inconvenient, especially when they fog up
Or over here where you could often do with windshield wipers!