Express

  I failed on the drinking challenge, and I failed on the exercise challenge, but I have one hour left to not fail on the writing challenge.

I could see ‘express’ as ‘fast’, but I’d rather look at it as ‘to express yourself’. The Madonna line “express yourself, don’t repress yourself” comes to mind. I think it’s very important to express who you are, vocally, physically, fashionably. I used to repress who I really was, trying to be who I thought others wanted me to be, I was miserable. Now, I try to express myself by putting a bit of me in everything I do, whether that’s getting dressed in the mornings or writing something in the evenings. One thing I do still need to learn to do is to express myself vocally. I still avoid confrontation and am afraid to ask for something I deserve. It’s like I have finally found what I want to say; now I just need to vocalise it.


Finding out who I am, and what I want to express has been a long, and often difficult process. I think it’s why we go through different stages in our life. I tried a little bit of everything to see what fit best. I think I kept a little something from each stage. All those separate little pieces are now who I am. It’s like I’m made up of many little puzzle pieces and as I grow, more pieces are added. I wonder if the puzzle is ever finished. Do we, at some point in life, reach a “finished” stage, when everything is just right? Or can the puzzle never be finished, can things never be “perfect.

Getting back to the subject of self-expression ... I think some people take it too far, or try to use it to justify cheap marketing ploys. Miley Cirus for example, with her latest song Who Owns My Heart. I know she is entitled to self-expression, but there are other things at play here. But she made a lot of money appealing to young kids. She made a lot of money because young kids, like my 8 year old niece, look up to her and buy her products. I think she should respect that and tame herself a bit (even though she sings she can’t). She can do as she likes privately, but she should at least tone down the image she’s sending out in the media. Sure, she’s almost 18 and an adult, but that doesn’t mean she has to portray herself as a skank. I know she wants to show the world that she’s a grown up and not Hannah Montana anymore. But since when does “grown up” equal “slutty”?

As with everything, there is both good and bad in self-expression. I believe that extreme anything is never a good thing. Yes, being yourself and expressing who you are is important. But so is a little self-control, and consideration of others.


Tomorrow's word: Quotation