The Selfie Society

When did this happen or should I ask how did this  happen?  This obsession with instant gratification, getting what you want, showing off, showing everything in your world to the world. I guess my age is showing. I grew up when charity was anonymous. We gave things to people in need without needing a tax break, we didn't need everyone to know we gave we just did because it was the right thing to do. We gave what we could.

A photo of family was taken with everyone in their best and we stood as a family. It was considered rude to 'hog' the spotlight. Photo's commemorated important and rare events such as a wedding, funeral or a graduation from high school or university. Special times were just that, something that did not occur often and was earned with hard work and effort.

What instigated this obvious rant you ask? I received a "selfie" in an email from my niece. She was at a Fine Dining Restaurant with her husband and his boss. It horrified me on so  many levels. The email bragged about how expensive everything was, that they ordered the most expensive entree's. I couldn't believe it. I felt like somehow I have failed to teach my niece anything about restraint and good manners.  The "selfie" showed a pretty young woman showing way too much cleavage, hamming it up to her cell phone...I don't know if she noticed the resentful glare from the waiter standing in the background. The email went on about how she got this and had that and it all cost so much and it made her friends die with envy. I wondered if she thanked her husbands boss? If she was gracious with the server, if the dress that showed way too much top covered the bottom?

Then it got me thinking about this new age of people getting what they want right now. The obsession with how they look and how people think they should look. How did this happen?

I know I was raised to believe I was responsible for myself. If I worked hard and was careful with my earnings I could save for what I wanted and live well. Bank debt was not a credit card but a truck loan, on a truck I used to go to work.

I loved my camera but it was not filled with self portraits and as I cruise my photo albums I find very few photos of me but a wonderful photo journey of places I have been and the people that have flowed through my life.

Now however with social media like facebook the obsession with self image seems to be overwhelming. Advertising promotes everything from botox wrinkle removal to teeth whiteners to "improve" your smile.

It confuses me sometime, women do not want to be seen as sex objects but dress in clothes that show everything, skinny jeans, low cut tops and insanely high heels. I remember when 5 or 6 inch high heels were considered.....shoes 'working women' wore [I don't mean Lawyer's either]. How can dressing like this not promote a sexual image of women? When we go to town for supplies and groceries we are continually amazed at how women dress...not just the young women either. Where is simple modesty? Where is the self respect we used to  have for ourselve or perhaps the self editing we used to use when we got clothes?

Now we are blasted with the "selfie", a photo that has only one purpose, to brag to the world your doing this, your seeing this, your shopping here, your going to this fancy place and of course your showing off who your kissing. Maybe the whole world doesn't need to know everything about you!

This may be a rant , in fact it is a rant, but sometimes we need to let our concerns out. Think before you send that next selfie, think before you get yourself that must have pair of spike heels, look at your image before you go out to dine, are you showing the world what they should not see? Are you bragging about what you have that someone else does not? Do you need to practice self control and responsibility? Think of what is truly important in your world, who loves you and why they love you? What you really need to be happy and self fulfilled and I suspect that selfie has not got a lot to do with your real world!

This  leads to one more question...am I blogging to show off to the world? Am I sharing too much of who I am, am I doing this to be cool? I hope not. I hope my words here can encourage and entertain the people who read them. I hope too that there is enough restraint in the photos, photos meant to inform and amuse as much as educate.

Well that is enough from this Crazed Cattlewoman, take care and God Bless you all!



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