I Am Beautiful
Now, say it out loud…
“You are beautiful.”
No, I’m not.
“Say it out loud. You are beautiful, inside and out.”
I have a friend who has started making social media videos where she gives pep talks to whoever is watching. She wants to be a life coach.
We’re both basically the same age but we’re approaching our midlife crises differently: she dreams of becoming a feel-good influencer and I want to sleep all day. I don’t know why I scroll through her feed watching her tell dozens of viewers how to love themselves and why they should stand in front of the mirror naked and what they should put in their morning smoothie. I will lay in bed and watch her as she whispers sweet clichés, her lips plump and glossy, her hair perfect.
Behind her, a large piece of very modern wall art hangs, a picture frame with the words ‘Be Still’ scrawled in black cursive against a white background. Ah yes, words of wisdom. I can’t see the rest of her room or house but I imagine her couch’s throw pillows are, somehow, just as inane.
She has promised to start a YouTube channel but is mostly on Instagram. What has she done in her life that makes her think she can coach someone? I think about starting a burner account just so I can write “who do you think you are?” in the comments. She…
