People always get it mixed up. The Seven Deadly sins are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. Not Vanity, PRIDE. One might say that Vanity is simply a sub-category, and that’s valid, BUT, in my own humble opinion, vanity is a far less harmful variety, as it refers to things like personal appearance, and the value you place in other’s opinions of it. A vice, to be sure, but not damning. Hollywood always gets it wrong (ie, The Devil’s Advocate and other films). I’m really only defending it, because I happen to be horribly vain myself, and I guess that’s a major weakness. Incapacitating-ly so, I’ve discovered.
I was recently the victim of some kind of allergic reaction/insect bite(I’ll find out what precisely at my impatiently-awaited trip to the doctor), and as a result, my cheeks have swollen to at least twice their normal size, making me resemble a disgruntled, overweight middle-schooler. You can imagine my displeasure. Aside from the fact that my face is in many ways my “money-maker” (being an actor and all) it also made me take a second to think about appearance in general. I don’t even want to go out in public like this. I am truly frightened of not being treated like an attractive person. Catcalls aside, I have noticed in the last year that being pretty has its definite perks, and I really really enjoy them. And now that that has been, albeit temporarily, taken away, I feel utterly vulnerable.
Which brings me to my point(s), I guess. The first, not taking for granted certain blessings (or any for that matter). There’s that old saying, you never know what you have until its gone. Well I can attest to that. And, maybe, if I wasn’t so humanly weak with my vanity, I wouldn’t realize what a gift I have now. So I guess what I mean is that vices have their benefits? But enough self-centered yammering.
My second point was just that I realize I, and other people, need to think about how they treat others based on looks. It’s an old tale, I’m not telling you anything new, but it bears repeating. I know I’ve done my fair share of gaping and gawking at people with deformities or scarring(or who are just plain fugly) and I’m not proud. That sucks. So I’d best thank my lucky stars I don’t have to go through that every day. Plus, working and living in a place like New York City, where good looks and material goods are idolized, one should take a breather every now and then remember that, hey, looks aren’t everything.
But damn, I hope my face gets better soon.
And on that note, while this blog will most likely NOT be a place for me to reflect on morality and sin, I figure once or twice can’t hurt. Shit, it is my blog.
Peace,
-Bean
No Comments Yet
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
