Tuning It Out

Posted on by

Christmas is over. The specials are gone. A sadness is present as we tear down our

 

English: Madonna barbie, crafted after the bri...

English: Madonna Barbie, crafted after the bridal look of The Virgin Tour and the 1984 MTV Video Music Award performance. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

pretties for the holidays and place a way until another time nears. Now we are bombarded with New Year’s resolutions.

 

It tends to make me question myself as I hear and see these ads. We are not the weight we should be. We can stand to lose another thirty pounds. We do not look like Jessica Simpson.

 

We don’t eat healthy. We do not buy our foods and have them delivered to our front door. We don’t stuff enough raw veggies down our guts. We don’t exercise enough. Some of us don’t exercise at all.

 

It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, the voices speak to our conscience. It is on the news of becoming the new you. Billions of dollars are spent on campaigns. It is almost as bad as the campaigns for President. Companies hoping they can hit you beneath the belt, making you feel bad about yourself. You will end up thinking so little of your looks and bodies, that you will pour out hundreds of dollars to improve the old you.

 

Are we so miserable in our own skins that we fall prey to these ads? Do we really think we are not good enough or glamorous enough to walk this earth. Do you like being told you need constant improvement?

 

It is no wonder that I do not get excited over New Year’s Eve. I don’t think I have ever been invited to a party. Don’t feel bad, I can’t miss what I have not experienced. I do tend to realize though that each year as it comes to an end, I tend to get a little tiny down and depressed.

 

I am not a Barbie doll type. I have a gut, no Botox tucked in hidden areas. I walk with no tattoos. I have not had surgery to make me instantly small. I hardly wear make-up. I don’t wear false eye lashes.

 

I don’t always buy healthy. It isn’t that I would not love to, but, when veggies are out of season, it does get a little pricey. I tend to buy more foods that are on the sale list. I want to eat for the next seven days. I choose not to starve for two of the days because I felt ashamed that I was not keeping up with the health trends.

 

I wear comfy clothes. I don’t have to have brand name labels. After all, how many people in the mall are going to come up to you and ask to see your label? As I get older, I want to be comfortable in my own skin. I don’t have to impress people here on earth.

 

Anyways, ads play on our guilt. When we fall for it, the companies gain billions of dollars from us. I will be so glad when New Year’s Day is here and gone. Television ads will back off a little bit more. After a six or seven week span has gone by and many of us have failed our resolutions, the companies seep into the woodwork.

 

It makes me so tired when I think about all the things that are wrong with me. Talk shows and doctor shows constantly trying to convince me of this way or that way will help me live longer. Get a test done now to see what you may die of later. No thanks, I pass.

 

God made me who I am. If he wanted me to look like a Barbie doll, he would have done that in planting me. If he wanted me to have a different shape, he would have made sure I had it.

 

I am getting old and I can tell. The things that used to be so important to me just don’t matter anymore. Now I tend to think about where I am going once I leave this world. Hopefully I have several years before I leave, but I want to make darn sure that now I am headed on the right track.

 

These are just my thoughts and not all of you are going to agree with me. But for me, I am going to shut out the ads that bring me down and make me feel guilt. I am going to work harder on listening to uplifting music and writing more blogs.

 

Happy New Year’s to all of you. May you stay safe, sober and still smiling on New Year’s Day.

 

Related articles

 

62 thoughts on “Tuning It Out”

  3. I agree with you. I exercise faithfully but not because I want to look like a Mrs. America candidate. I exercise because it helps me feel better emotionally and physically. My heart disease and diabetes is better under controll with daily exercise and my depression is definately under control with daily exercise. I cannot afford the foods that I am told to eat nor do I want some of them. Have you looked at diabetes/heart disease recipe books or computer sites lately. I am a average southern raised girl who likes regular food. Meh…I do the best I can. And I have never been invited to a NY eve party either. I have had my own “parties” if you can call them that. Gathering with a few family members for hot chocolate at midnight. Thats ok with me. I always volunteered to work NY eve simply cause I did not party and it gave me the opportunity to see the New Years Baby first. Thats my kind of celebrations.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I need to exercise more, but I fail every time because it is “not fun” alone. I seem to always have an excuse why I can’t. it is terrible. When I lived in Florida, the weather was always nice, so I had joined a class at the Y. I loved it, but being back here in the cold and snow and ice, I have become a hermit. I get out for errands or seeing Al. Exercise does help the body and mind, definitely. What I am trying to do starting today is portion control. I have eaten pretty much foods that fit the diabetic bill, but eat too much. I struggle with my sugar numbers, so hopefully this will help. Thanks for giving me your input on this post. I appreciate it. If you lived closer, i would join you for the hot chocolate. Make mine sugar free please. !!!

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Mine is usually sugar free too. LOL! I wish I still lived there. U and I could go to the wellness center together and get our exercise in.

        Like

      • the wellness center is over 450 a year to belong. I can not afford it, but it is a very nice place. I just heard Dr. Oz state the other day that sugar free foods make us crave sweets even more. Who knows what to believe anymore…..

        Like

  4. I’m pretty well on the same page…Yes I could eat a lot healthier and less calories…but I too am comfortable at this stage in my life with who I am and what I look like….and enjoy pretty much the way that I live…Diane

    Like

    Reply ↓

  5. Totally agree with you – and a fantastic post!!! To be honest I don’t give much notice to what we are suppose to do and not do – and I never promise anything for the year to come – it has to be the way it turns out. Old enough to know better *laughter – next year official Swedish pensioner – I wish I had my 30th body .. be 45 and have my life experiences of nearly 65.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I do hate getting older in numbers. I will be 59 in April. Sounds old to me. I try to ignore the age and feel with my heart. It seems to work better for me. Other wise, i would be worrying about everything, and what good would that do…….nothing. We are here living, we know not what tomorrow brings. we better make the best of each day, right??????

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Age isn’t only a number – our bodies change .. and our mind change too – we are younger in our minds than our bodies and that can become a problem at times.
        We just embrace the day as it comes and .. live it as we want – that is the best with old age … no MUSTS anymore.

        Like

  8. i have to say one of the good things about dying is i don’t care about these things! i want to move about to make things easy for myself and my husband. i still don’t go crazy and eat just anything but i know i am not going on a diet, at this point who cares about a pound or two? when i was younger i was very active and so my body is still in good muscular condition. i was never big on make-up since most of my youth was in the army and there just wasn’t time.

    if i could give young women one thing for the new year it would be self-confidence. it can make such a difference in a persons life. glad you are finding yours!

    Like

    Reply ↓

  9. Do you have a YMCA…based on your salary…cheap!…I only go for the water aerobics 3 X a week for an hour…to keep my body moving…I know I sit at this computer way too much…
    We are watching Grandkids New Year’s Eve…Usually do…We drink pretend wine in wine glasses and toast…watch the Ball drop in New York on TV…and watch movies we enjoy…Not so bad!…

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • we do have a Y. I can check on reduced prices. I used to take this class with middle aged people like me. I felt so much better. My fear is the weather, wasting money on a class knowing I may not get there. You have a wonderful New Year’s eve. Tell your husband hello for me. I think I will be alone unless by chance my son drops by

      Like

      Reply ↓

  13. Terry I totally agree with you. I am 51 and I am happy getting older. I feel more in control of myself and I am the older I get happier with myself and my body. I accept what God has given me, (took me half a century though) but finally I do. I am in control of my own happiness, so outside influences are useless. Be yourself and be proud of it.
    I wanted to give you this , I noticed you got it already but I do appreciate you and your writings and hence, with love from me.

    Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!


    HAve a great new year!

    Like

    Reply ↓

  15. Amen, Terry! There is a reason big companies spend billions on advertising – it works. Usually. It does not work with me, though. I am what I am, and I do what I can to improve my life, but not in the ways of the world. Even when I was in my teens, I seldom cared whether I was wearing clothing similar to everyone else. I have always had trouble finding shoes to fit properly even as a child, so when I didn’t have fashionable shoes on, the only thing I thought of was that my feet were comfortable and I was sure others were not. And if someone doesn’t like the way I look, well, they don’t have to look! Right? I think if more people accepted the way they were created to be instead of spending countless hours, dollars and so much energy trying to be like someone else, there would be more contentment in this world. And more hours to devote to reasonable improvement. Most efforts to look or act like some “model citizen”, don’t work anyway because we weren’t meant to be that way. And it certainly doesn’t bring any happiness even if our efforts are “successful”. Keep on being happy with who you are, improve your life when you can and always remember that the Lord loves us no matter what we look like.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Thank you so much Diane. When you speak of your shoes as a child, I remember back to one year when I had to wear saddle shoes to school. I never got a say in what mom and dad bought. they were bought for durability, not looks. believe me, i hated my black and white shoes. There was a tiny half-bath in the back of the house we lived in at my age of around 7. I can remember sitting on the toilet, swinging my legs back and forth, spitting on my shoes, I hated them so bad!!! LOL

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • I remember saddle shoes, and penny loafers. My mother always had to spend from 2 to 4 times the amount on shoes for me than other parents would have had to spend on their kids’ shoes. The only thing I cared about was the blisters I got on the back of my heels trying to break in every new pair of shoes, not what other kids thought about the style. I’m glad it never bothered me. I had enough other things to bother me, like extreme shyness. I still don’t care if I’m in style or not – and usually I’m not. 🙂 My friend once told me I should get a more modern hair style. But I have so many comments on my hair from total strangers of all ages that even if I wanted to get my hair cut (which I don’t), I wouldn’t do it. I think it’s good when we are unique. Even my likes in music didn’t fit with my peers in school. I loved classical music and couldn’t have told anyone what was on the hit parade if my life had depended on it.

        Like

      • I don’t remember not ever feeling like I didn’t fit in, but I did hate those shoes. Mom and dad were middle class folks. They never made us feel that we weren’t just as good as everyone else. In fact, mom always said there is no one better than us, only God. I remember one year I took a lot of teasing as I matured faster than other girls my age. I got called quite a few names, but I don’t harbor it today, so it must have not damaged me. I deal more today with how I don’t fit in than as a child, as I am heavier. I try not to listen to all the garbage on TV

        Like

      • Garbage is about the right word to use. All those ads are meant to seduce people to buy what they neither want nor need but make them think they do. I realize businesses need to make money, but I just wish they would find a more honest way to do it. Most of those things they advertise aren’t half as good as they make them out to be. I’m happy to be left alone to go to the store and pick up what I do need without all the fancy and loud gimmicks.

        Like

  17. Nothing wrong with your article, you speak the truth! Actually my New Years outfit every year is my pj’s and robe! It is a nice to see a New Year come in, just like it is nice to see a new week or even a new day begin and I have all I need here, in my heart and in my life to make each day just as special as the last.. I don’t need advertisers telling me what I need to be happy. I am me – as simple as it is, no frills, no thrills just a woman of God. Blessings dear friend! Patty

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.