I'd have to say Ally, I agree with you in every word of your post :)
Most of what has been said is similar to my own views..
I can honestly say that I've dressed like myself for years now and haven't felt happier.
Even though I get weird looks and am labeled as a stoner, bum ect. I would rather be thought of as a weirdo and be considered insane in a society where the real insanity leaks through the lifeblood of all it's practitioners..
I know that there are others out there like me, mostly guys but as a woman..I wish that more females would stand up for themselves, kick off their uncomfortable shoes and turn off their straighteners..hell even getting rid of annoying make up.
Do you see any tribes people dolling themselves up, setting themselves up for a disappointment when they don't reach the lofty pedestal that society has put up for them?
I don't and to be honest, I think tribes people have genuine strength and beauty..

i agree with you Pa'li :) , a lot of people at my school say that i should "change" the way i look ... and well, it's impossible to make them understand that the real beauty is buried in all that make-up and the straighteners, meh ... im not gonna change the way i look :P , i love myself :D :D

Hmmm yeah and it's still the same even in Uni/College the girls there drive flashy cars, have glossy hair and fancy clothes..
I stand there and wonder, is it really worth it?
I doubt material possessions set you apart from everyone else if they all dress alike.
It's a vicious cycle too: the trends come and go and they're are dictated to everyone who will listen by some faceless people at the top of the corporate fashion chains..
I don't want to spend all my life acting as a slave to everyone's ideals and perceptions..
I'm sure none of us do either..
Thoughts of materialism and vanity vanished after I watched Avatar..
Now I want to throw out all of my old possessions which disgust me now :P

about the cars ... i think that's really pointless , i prefer cycling or walking :P . I know some people who would die if they can't use a straightener or don't have make up to use, so wrooooong :( , and Avatar totally sent my thoughts of materialism to the trash bin :D :D (thanks Avatar woooo!) and made me know how to appreciate all the natural things around me, even myself hahaha :D , oh i see you changed your signature picture haha, full HD Jake :P

Hehehe yep, and it looks so pretty too!!
*grins and hugs HNM for the pic*
Yeah I know, I catch public transport all the time and rarely use straighteners.
:) Avatar was the best thing that happened to all of us I think.

Indeed :D , it's funny cuz at school some girls are chasing me just to straighten my hair hahaha, they dunno how cool we are without all that stuff :)

:D agreed!

I have to say I'm not as "pure" as all of you--I'm a smidge materialistic (though I won't tell anyone outright it becomes obvious when you see all the "stuff" I have). Not only that, but I'm a pack-rat so I keep anything and everything...

I know this because myself (and my parents) had to spend over two hours packing all my belongings into the van to come home from college (for the last time). It all barely fit. I found myself wondering if I really need all that stuff. Unfortunately, I did not have an epiphany, "I-should-give-this-up-and-do-something-else" or similar. I thought "Oh, well, if I can carry it in I can carry it out. And if I can carry it and it fits in the car, I'm keeping it."

/hides

haha ^^ its ok.. doesnt make u any less of a good person :P i guess it depends haha

I agree on Mune with this one i really do.. except for the colours thing cause i like colours.. especially blue haha

and you go Pa'li!! that is the right attitude to have!! see after I saw Avatar, i actually stopped wearing makeup ENTIRELY i hate it.. its not me. its like im wearing a mask.. and i dont straighten my hair EVER...(not anymore haha i used to but only a few times a year haha) and i dont EVER wear heels either.. i sold my nice boots to someone cause they hurt my feet and its pointles.. but all in all its true that we should not be slaves ever and should have our own way of living.. and i think so too the tribes are very beautiful and natural people.. cause they dont believe in our world.. sometimes i wish i could be one of them, but it would be so hard to adapt to such an environment after being in the one i am in now :P haha
but yeah, WE SHOULD BE OURSELVES AND NO ONE ELSE!!!
i do admit i wear like short shorts in the summer and tanks and stuf.. but only cause its comfortable, not because i wanna look like a skank, but because in the summer it gets pretty warm and if i wear a little less it makes it alittle more cooler and more comfortable.. plus im trying to up my self esteem :) it helps! haha i dont care how people look at me.. this is me.. and i will do what i want.. and i wear flip flops with a skirt.. i dont care,,.. its comfy haha

If only more people could be like you... :)

Completely agree.
We should feel comfortable with who we are, with our own style and appearance. We shouldn't have to listen to society dictation of how we should be. Individuality is important. I'd much rather be myself in all aspects than to try and conform with popular trends and styles.

I haven't wore make up in so long, I mean what is the point really? I feel it's much more healthy to rid of it completely and embrace any flaws, rather than trying to conceal them from the world.

awww HNM you are too sweet :D

it is true Leyra!! i find putting makeup on actually just makes it even worse for your face.. like foundation.. that stuff is crap for your face.. its not worth it to even put it on! what do you think the tribes people do when they get blemishes? do they go out of their way to put makeup on? no! cause they dont care.. its not natural.. it isnt good im sorry to say.. it just hides who we really are and its awful! the only makeup the Na'vi even wear is warpaint.. which serves a purpose haha

and same with the clothes!! we all have our own styles! i find that things have gotten SO MUCH WORSE within the last ten years with appearance its not even funny.. its just getting worse and worse, and it is not fair.. i fear the future.. there will be clones EVERYWHERE :(

Oh my Eywa... Just yes. To everything. So much agreed.

haha^^ you are so epic and awesome!!! all of you are :D

:). I like your attitude. I don't wear make up often. Back in HS I didn't wear it at all. Now, I only wear it, and only a little bit, to church and on special occasions like a wedding, funeral, going to an interview, going to a opera, a special date, etc. Those are the only times I do it. I admit that I don't have very good skill when it comes to make up. I don't care honestly.

As for as straightening my hair. I don't need to. I was born with thin, straight, dark blonde hair. My mom made me get a perm back in middle school. I HATED it. I just wanted my hair long and straight. That is how I have always worn it. I didn't want to have the latest hairstyle and I don't want it now.

As for as boots...lol...I love boots. Especially high heeled ones. I have several pairs and I mostly wear them to church.



True. However, even tribal people have their own beauty standards. In some parts of Mongolia, there is a tribe that has women who have VERY long necks. What they do is they put big rings around their necks when they are little children and as they grow, the neck elongates. In fact, it elongates so much that it would be fatal if the rings came off. In other tribes, such as some in the Amazon, its a mark of a very beautiful person to have a lip plate in their mouth. It also used to be the custom in China to bind baby girls feet so that they will be very tiny.

Humans have always found ways to do wear stuff to themselves to make them look "beautiful". Each culture had a different standard for that.


Agreed :).


That's fine. What you describe is normal attire here in Florida and I have worn flip flops with a skirt :). We all do that here, especially now when the weather is much warmer.