CHANGING LOOKS

Apart from indisputable religious scriptures, the only thing that permanent in this world is change.  Dating back to our very beginning, the world has been changing through the passing of time and so the people.  Like life, love, and traits, even the well appreciated timeless beauty is changing.  Everything change and soon everything will fade.  Like the days and nights that end to their horizons, beauty and virility fade too.   The physical good look vanishes, the peak of our better days last.  In the circle of life, beauty may become even better or the vice-versa, or from the start is the other way that improved or the bitter destiny.

During our impulsive and daring youth, we often regard the physical attribute of the person that we encountered in days.  Most often than not, we easily recognize and remember those good-looking men and women in our barrio, those who were popular in our school, those often chosen beautiful who had numbers of suitors, and those who escorted the beautiful.  When I was in high school until my mid-twenties, I had always this feeling of grudge for not having the good look to the point that I even easily disregarded the classified ad when requires pleasing personality.  Having a thick lips and flat nose, I had no confidence when it comes to personality.  While others at my age were enjoying and getting the most out of their physical quality, I had deserted, tedious, and unhappy youth.

Moving on, I had to get along with the groups and colleagues but I had reservations and insecurities.  Until I reached the age of late twenties when I started to appreciate what I used to have.  That was when I’d realized that there was nothing to do with my bitterness anymore.  It was the maturity and acceptance but there was part of it that made me strong to uphold my confidence during that time, I started receiving nice words from people around me: compliments about my character, attitude, viewpoints and even the insecurity that I used to covet before – the physical look.  That was when even me had perceived that I actually look younger at my age while other colleagues were aged through times and life’s challenge.  Silly thing as such feeling but indeed it added my self-worthy without over trusting self.

That silly thing established and strengthened my confidence until I reached the so called beginning of life at forty.  The inspiring self-saying that it is better to start from down to up rather than the other way around re-lived my esteem.   Until I came to the point that I am no longer after my look, that nothing I have to aspire for I have knew that indeed people will like me despite my unattractiveness.  At my age now, I am not bothered if I am losing my hair or wearing uninteresting clothing.  Gone are the days of looking for the branded and signature products to make nice impression.  Those were the days of insecurities about my physical attribute.  Today, I dress and keep the nice grooming not for my look but for my work, neither I exercise and work-out for my health and not for posture.

Without doubt beauty, poise and masculinity fades, the admiration you are getting today may change, while the former simple appearance may turn into better soon.  The wheel of life is not always on top.  At this moment while you are suffering self-esteem, why don’t you enhance your deficiencies by looking at your forte?  Embrace the challenge, accept the changes and live the hope.  Everyone has specialty of our own that we can use to represent the better you and me.  And right there, establish your edge over the other that will feel you worthwhile.

By Alex V. Villamayor

March 27, 2014