I haven't blogged in a while, and it's not because there haven't been things I wanted to say, but because they are just basic feelings that I have written about before, and i'm sure would be old news to anyone who has read my blog before. But since I am not working today and haven't blogged in a while, I thought I could tone down some topics i've wanted to write about, and write one blog centering around a handful of them. The common theme: role models.
I saw this post on a website a few months ago, I took a screen shot of it and wanted to write a blog post then, but I thought it could fit nicely here in this one. For those who wouldn't recognize, it is an excerpt from The Hunger Games Trilogy. No one would be surprised about my love for Katniss Everdeen. I think she is a great character and one that is needed for girls who are growing up now a days. Even at the age of 5, little kids are shown by Disney princess movies that the point of being born is to be eventually saved or loved by a prince charming...and I guess that is fine and well for some people, but it makes life unfair for about almost everyone in that representation of what life is about. Sure, there are some Disney movies that don't have this theme, and God bless Frozen (for which I ALMOST got real mad at there 3/4 of the way through, haha) but the point that the media more often than not gets across is, that no matter what females do there always need to be a prince charming that comes at the end of the day to make the story perfect, and why does that always need to be so? Here is Katniss Everdeen, strong, independent, looks out for herself and takes cares of others. What a great role model presented. That she doesn't need anyone to rescue her, that young woman are strong enough on our own to take care of ourselves. That it's ok to want to go out and run around in the woods instead of dress up and be put on display by the media. That nothing is wrong with us wanting our alone time. All of these things should be normal and accepted too.
As much as i'm glad for the character of Katniss, i'm glad that Jennifer Lawrence was chosen to bring her to life, because not only does she do that, but as a person she also, I feel, challenges the media on what they put out and present to young girls as how they should be and grow up. For that reason, I in some way look up to or respect Katniss and also my BFF JLaw.
Another person that I have recently come to love is Kacey Musgraves. In a world where so many expectations are placed on people, she calls the world out and basically says BS. Good for her. In her song, Merry Go Round, the opening line is: "If you ain't got 2 kids by 21, you're probably gonna die alone, at least that's what tradition told you." The whole song is about how we were told life should go: grow up, get married, have 2.5 kids, live in cookie cutter houses in a subdivision just like everybody else. I'm not saying this isn't a good life and you can't grow up this way (if you want to, more power to ya), but I appreciate that it is being acknowledged that that is how tradition tells you to make a life, and maybe it isn't all it's cracked up to be. And kind of to push that whole theme along she has her song Follow Your Arrow, basically saying, there are people that still think that is how you make a life ^, but if that is how you DO make your life, people will still judge you, so just do your thing and not worry about what other people think of you. If you're fat, people will judge you, if you're skinny, people will judge you; if you drink, people will judge you, if you don't drink, people will judge you; if you go to church, people will judge you, if you don't go to church, people will judge you, you get where she is going with this? (Our society sucks) BUT, we don't have to care about people judging us, YOU JUST DO YOU, GIRL. Whatever makes you happy, do that, because life is to short to be anything but happy. (I maybe could have read that quote somewhere and am possibly plagiarizing, but still a good point) Anyway, yet another person I think our society needs and I wouldn't hesitate recommending as a good role model for girls.
Someone that I really look up to is a blogger and author that goes by the name of Jen Hatmaker. I have blogged about her before, so I will make this one shorter, but if there are any adults out there that are still looking for some more good role models in their life, I would direct you to her. She seeks God and love so unapologetically (and is so hilarious also) that the world would change if there were a few more of her. She is how I strive to be when I grow up. Just recklessly loving the world and every human in it, not caring who is telling her to stop, and I find that the most inspiring thing of all, because when your heart is alined with Gods and you can't stop loving and showing love, everything else I have mentioned in this blog falls into place. I have never felt more free than I do in Christ, and that is kind of what it all is about. Screw what society says, how they think you should grow up, who they think needs to save you and how you need to act- the fullest and freest life i've known is when I accept and give it up to Jesus, because in the end that all that really matters.
I should have just ended this blog on that paragraph, but i wanted to add another little closing paragraph. I'm not gonna call myself a great a role model, because i'm not a perfect person and I'm nearly certain if I ever was a role model and the 'One Million Moms' brigade heard about it they would throw an uproar, but if I can't be (and mainly because I don't know many girls younger than me) I would at least hope that they could look up to these woman and know that they don't have to settle in this life. That they can go out there and do whatever they want, follow any dream they had. If they want to be a doctor I surely hope they won't let anyone stop them. Or a lawyer. Or a vet. Or a social worker. Or a singer. Or an activist. Or the President of the United States of America. I heard a song recently that was pretty much made for me at my point in life a few years ago. It got me thinking on the topic of giving advise to people and then who we look up to and possibly get advise or a life queue from. This entry has already been too long and taken a certain theme so I won't go into the song and experiences and advise I remembered from it (maybe next time) but all goes to say, we all have influences and people that help shape the way we view life...make sure you are aware of those people in your life and how they are influencing you to live your life, because they are influencing you and your worldview.
