Beauty

Disclaimer: I'll apologize beforehand if the following article seems discriminatory. I don't think it is, and my comments and views should apply to both men and women as far as I can tell.

This article was born out of a few things.

A few weeks ago a video of a crazy old woman in a Hong Kong airport became very popular.

In the video a sixtyish woman throws a tantrum that lasts several minutes because a plane leaves her behind.

My first view is that I know people like that. I've seen tantrums like that one.

My second thought is that I feel sorry for whatever poor bastard married her.

My third thought is that, this woman was probably once a beautiful girl that got her every wish, and manipulated those around her, parents, siblings, friends, lovers and got what she demanded every time.

But she has grown to become an old and fat caricature. And whatever evidence ever existed that she once was young and beautiful is now long gone.

It is very easy to look at a beautiful girl, then look at her mother or grandmother and be able to tell what she will look like in the future.

Yep, she'll gain weight, lose those smooth curves, get some wrinkles, get gray hair etc.

Her beauty will fade.

That is easy.

But can you look at an old lady and go back, and see that many years ago she was an attractive young lady? That is more difficult.

Robert A. Heinlein wrote in his novel Stranger in a Strange Land of Auguste Rodin. He wrote that in Rodin's sculpture of an old lady, La Belle Heaulmiere, he captured that long ago faded young beauty of the past.

If you have the ability, you can still see what he saw, and you can see that the wrinkled, saggy breasted old woman in the sculpture was one a full lipped, attractive woman.

It is very hard for me to do this.

Sometimes I can see it.

But also sometimes it is very difficult for me to see that a specific old woman ever had anything youthful or attractive in her.

I think it may have something to do with the fact that few people focus on developing inner beauty.

And when the ravages of time tear away the physical beauty, nothing of substance is left, not even character, which probably becomes more important than mere beauty as you mature.

Can you look at a young girl, and see far into the future, if with the passing of the years she will be able to develop an inner quality that will allow her to transcend the aging of her physical presence? To retain qualities that will allow her to remain attractive, even if her outward appearance has deteriorated?

Can you tell the difference between a young lady that will grow into someone that time cannot touch and someone else who will become an empty, bitter, wrinkled shell of a woman?

That is a talent with a price far above rubies...

Recommended website: Museum Rodin

Recommended Novel: Stranger in a Strange Land

Recommended Video: Crazy woman misses flight