Be You
“I’m really worried, Mum, she’s losing weight and she’s not her usual happy self anymore. I blame all those so-called influencers on the internet for constantly changing their appearance. It’s just not realistic and quite harmful to youngsters.”
“How can you change your appearance?”
“They use special apps but, quite frankly, they all look like cartoon characters to me!”
“Show me what you mean…”
***
Lucy’s mum places some pearly white sea bass in the steamer. “Would you like some chips, Lucy?”
“No thanks, just salad.”
“I’ve got some good news, Lucy,” Grandma smiles. “You don’t have to badger me anymore. I’ve taken the plunge! I’m on Facebook!”
“That’s great Grandma. What made you change your mind?”
“Well, as you pointed out, all my friends are on it so I thought it was about time.”
Lucy grabs her iPad. “Let me see…”
“Grandma! That’s not you in those photos!”
“Of course, it is! Alright, I might have tweaked them a little bit.”
“A little bit! You’re unrecognisable. What made you do that?”
“To get rid of my wrinkles, of course. And my grey hair. Not to mention the extra weight.”
“But it’s not you!”
“Only those who know me would know that! Not everyone! I’ve had some very complimentary comments. Some a little too complimentary, I’ll admit, but that ‘block’ option sorted that out!”
“Oh, Grandma! You’re lovely as you are.”
Grandma’s voice takes on a serious tone. “And so are you, Lucy.”
Lucy looks puzzled.
“If I can manage to alter my appearance,” Grandma explains, “think what those, what do you call them… influencers… can do. Do you really believe they look as perfect as their photos?”
Lucy sits in silence, absorbing her grandma’s words.
“There’s an Oscar Wilde quote,” Grandma continues, “that comes to mind. ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’.”
Lucy grins. “I think I will have some chips, Mum.”
Her mum gives a thumbs up!
“And later,” Lucy informs her grandma, “we’ll delete all these photos and load some new ones… undoctored! How about those I took on your 70th birthday? You look beautiful in them.”
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleA memorable story of a loving grandma’s gift to her family. Sometimes the oldest folks are wise to the newest things! The good news here is timely and well worth taking to heart.
Thank you so much! I, myself, was a grandmother when I first joined Facebook!
A story with an important message, Linda. Nicely written.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThanks Carrie. With the world the way it is today, I found the prompt quite a challenge! But this is a subject close to my heart. I was happy to read that Getty Images have banned any creative content depicting models whose body shapes have been retouched to make them look thinner or larger. There is also a Bill waiting to be passed in the UK whereby Influencers will have to admit… Read more »
I really enjoyed it, Linda. You perfectly captured the problems on social media today, and they sometimes forget the word, “Be yourself.” Like mum in your protagonist, two thumbs up from me. The message is beautiful and timely. Nicely done.
Thank you Lotchie, I’m so glad you enjoyed my story and for your kind words. Photoshopping has become a huge problem and is said to lead to decreased self-esteem, anxiety and even depression. Hopefully, at last, something is going to be done about it.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleYou’re welcome, Linda.
So current and so beautifully put, Linda. I once went on a wrinklies’ dating site and my first ‘date’ insisted on meeting in an ‘atmospheric’, meaning nearly dark restaurant. When my eyes became accustomed to the gloom I realised that she must have applied her make-up with a trowel! You have highlighted a troubling trend, particularly among young females and it’s a great tale.
Oh, dear Allan, I’m assuming there was no second date then! ???? . Thanks for your lovely comments. Yes, it is indeed a troubling trend.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleLove the Oscar Wilde quote and your message, Linda.
I love all the Oscar Wilde quotes Margarida, from the witty to the philosophical. Thank you for your lovely comment, I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
This is a well-written story with a relevant message. It is hard to just be yourself within a community like social media. Especially since we are almost force fed that you need to be better than just that. Not a good space if you have self-esteem issues! I feel like this would be a good story for teens to read. Self-love is so important in these times. Great job Linda.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHi Melissa, you are so right re. social media, I really feel for the youth of today. Thanks for your encouraging comments, a story for teens has given me something to think about!
Great story! I am very jealous of how naturally you write dialog, always a sticking point for me. Here it flows very smoothly.
Thank you so much, Joseph. Dialogue has always seemed to come easy with me, it’s descriptions I tend to struggle with! I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleJoseph, If it’s any help to know, I usually hear the dialogue in my head at first, type it and then read it aloud. Leave the story alone for a day or two then return to it. It’s then that anything that sounds forced or unnatural usually shows up and can be changed. Good luck!
This is a lovely and thought-provoking story, Linda! As a teenage girl, I have noticed a shocking drop in self-confidence and self-love among my peers. There’s a Rupi Kaur quote that I love almost as much as that Oscar Wilde: “We are all born so beautiful/the greatest tragedy/is being convinced we are not.” I’ve struggled with autoimmune sensitivities and I strongly believe that the foods we place in our bodies truly matter!… Read more »
Hi Arianna, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I love the Rupi Kaur quote, I’ve not heard it before. How very true and how sad those words. I’m so sorry to hear of your struggle, my daughter suffers from colitis so I understand how important it is to watch what you eat. Steamed fish is one of my favourite dishes and I agree – very mouthwatering! Take care.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI loved the story! It took dear old grandma to make things clear and finally Lucy realised that beauty is how one feels about herself rather than what others might think and want to look like. Beauty is only based on unreality more and more these days!
How true, Greene. Social media has a lot to answer for. I guess I was lucky my teenage years were in the 1960s when, as a ‘Mod’, all that was necessary was adhering to a certain dress code! Ah, those were the days! I’m glad you enjoyed the story, your comments are always appreciated.
What a valuable lesson for Lucy to learn, without Grandma having to preach to her. I can imagine her shock seeing her Gran’s altered pictures! This was well-written.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you, Marianna. Yes, I too can imagine how shocked Lucy would have been! I’ve just realised that out of the last 10 stories of mine that have been shortlisted, 3 are about Grandmas and 1 about a Grandpa! Maybe there’s a book in there somewhere! ????
… a message only a loving grandma can deliver. Nice piece.
Very true Kayja. Thank you for your kind comment.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with Google