Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. Mattie was home between hospital visits and as you can see he had built a volcano and watched it erupt. Mattie loved hands on learning and one of his favorite places to play was on the floor between our dining and living rooms. So many things were created there, both pre-cancer and after Mattie was diagnosed. Given how Mattie was feeling, it was remarkable that he could play and was interested in building and creating. I am not sure an adult experiencing the same physical and emotional issues as Mattie would have been as determined and brave.
Quote of the day: Your self-esteem won’t come from body parts. You need to step away from the mirror every once in a while, and look for another reflection, like the one in the eyes of the people who love you and admire you. ~ Stacy London
I can say that I endured a Super Bowl party. I put it that way because football and all sports for that matter are not high on my interests list. Certainly if the NFL were counting on me, then they'd have a big problem. As I wouldn't condone the extraordinarily large salaries, high ticket prices, or let's talk about the price of airing a commercial during the Super Bowl. I just don't get it!
With that said, the only part of the Super Bowl that I watch is the half time show. But even that I could do without! I caveat what I am saying, by sharing that I do not care for floor shows, which is what the half time show is, that
involve lewd and crude body movements, not to mention women who are scantily clad. Those who saw the half time show know that it was performed by
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Well that is if you focused on them at all, since there was a light show, thousands of people performing and standing all around them, fireworks, and many other distractions going on at the same time on stage.
I know there is all sorts of commentary on social media about this show. For the most part people LOVED it, and then there were the rest of us. Who find the whole thing offensive and wonder why an American event, that should be family oriented, agrees to host such a show. In fact at the party I attended, there was a little girl who was 8 years old. Her parents allowed her to watch the half time show and as she was watching, she was emulating what the performers were doing.... which was she raised her shirt way up so that we could see her stomach and rib cage. I made a mental note of that.
But what caught my attention was that the women around me had plenty to say while watching these women performers. They commented about how fat and unattractive they felt in comparison to Jessica Lopez and Shakira. You wonder why our society has body image issues and eating disorders? Look no further than our media who sexualizes and portrays women in unnatural ways. Honestly I heard so much negative commentary during the show, that I had to say something. What I said was they can't compare themselves to these women, as we don't know what the performers have done or continue to do to themselves to look this way. Which means surgeries, medications, personal trainers, make up and hair artists and the list goes on. It is a ridiculous and unequal comparison..... which left me questioning the nature of the whole half time show.
Why create a show that is inappropriate for young children and elicits negative body images for those watching the show? I know the answer of course, sex sells. In the future, I am better off NOT watching the show as it provides me no pleasure, but only irritation.
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