Don't worry, I still think you skin becomes you

"I can't think of a woman who feels comfortable in her own skin," one of my professors claimed in my media criticism class today. That's just sad. But it also made me wonder if he could think of a man who felt comfortable in his skin either.

When media thrusts images of quote-unquote perfection down our throats than what can we expect. But I think the problem runs much more deeper than this. People are afraid of what others think of them and that inhibits them. And it's not just about looks. It's about how you present yourself, what you like, and how you act. Luckily, I learned a long time ago that I'm a feminist and I have high arches and wear ugly shoes (that I love!) and everybody I encounter can deal with it or leave me alone. But for some, it's not that easy.

This is where self-esteem begins: figuring out who you are and sometimes, who you're not. And the media and the ads we encounter don't help. These portray flat, static images: woman as objects or accessories, men as depending on material things for success, and of course, everyone is way too thin and way too plastically "beautiful." How are we to build images of ourselves with these as role models? Self-esteem is one of the best things a person can do for her (or him) self. If you can wake up in the morning and know that you're really okay with yourself, the rest of the day will be easy. And life will be pretty damn great. At some point you just have to decide that you like yourself and that's the only person's opinion you should be worrying about.