Keepin’ It Real

Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Comments 2

By Margot Starbuck

Raising my arm, I highlight the dark round wet spot in my pit.

Pointing to my yellowing tooth, I make sure that no one misses it.

Grabbing a roll around my middle, I show it off to my new friends.

Gross right?  Make a mental note, right now, to not invite me over to dinner.  Ever.

I do have an excuse.  As I speak to women about my new book, Unsqueezed, I try to model what it looks like to keep it real.  Instead of hiding my imperfections, or bleaching them, or paying big bucks to have them surgically suctioned out of my body, I go ahead and cut right to the chase.

“Yes, I have invisible eyelashes.”

“Yes, there is a ‘W’ after the number printed on the tag of my jeans.”

“Yes, my son tells me I make an awesome pillow.”

I’m sure more than a few women are a little jarred by the whole experience, but others—starving for even the teeniest glimpse of reality—love it.  Seriously, I can see it in their faces.  I can see them relax, breathe a deep sigh, and know that they’re not alone.  I suspect one of them is thinking, “Well if that gal can limp along through life looking as bad as she does, I can probably make it another day as well.”

I do try to inspire.

Sometimes, I get more than the sigh.  For instance, I may have been teaching in my church’s women’s bible study and possibly mentioned that I experience, on a daily basis, some panty leakage.  I think it took a few women by surprise, because one of them threw her arms up in the air and shouted, “WOO HOO!”, like she and I were in a special sorority together.  If the revealing personal factoid wasn’t shocking, the random outburst most certainly was.

I am pretty convinced that liberation happens as we tell the truth about ourselves, our lives, our bodies.  Telling the truth, keeping it real, liberates us from shame, and it liberates others from shame.  Quite literally, you bless other women around you do. 

It is powerful, sweet sisters.

Do you know a woman who keeps it real?  We want to know about her!  You can leave a comment here, or enter at Margot’s site, and we’ll have a drawing for you & your nominee to win signed copies of Unsqueezed: Springing Free From Skinny Jeans, Nose Jobs, Highlights & Stilettos (IVP, 2010).  Winners will be posted on Margot’s blog on November 1.  (*We’ll enter you twice when you email a photo of your nominee, at Margot’s site!)