Modeling and Brownies

We see them on TV commercials and in movies every day. Tall, beautiful models, with their clothes, makeup and hair perfectly matched. Their long legs, little behinds and not the least amount of cellulite anywhere on their body would make any woman feel jealous. Open any magazine or a mail-order catalog, and you’ll see the very same women gracing the pages. And, rather than ooh-ing and aah-ing over the clothes and accessories, and thinking what you’d like to buy, you end up thinking to yourself (come on, we’ve all done it at least once), I wish I looked like that. Today’s women face a lot of pressure, and they have tons of issues to deal with, to be sure. Not only are they expected to be super moms, cooks, straight-A students or career women, they are also expected to be beautiful for themselves and their mates.

When I was younger, I fancied myself one of those beautiful women. With my small built and a near-perfect hourglass figure, I was considered pretty enough to be a model. I looked great in minis, tight capris, bikinis, high heels and tank tops, so it was no wonder that I wanted to try a career in modeling.

I wanted to make my dream a reality. I answered newspaper and magazine ads that had to do with modeling, I went for modeling tryouts and participated in my school’s fashion shows. But no matter how hard I tried, my big break into modeling never came. Once I modeled for a hobby photographer, whose exhibition was to appear overseas. I modeled dresses and hats from the 60s and knew that in a few months, people will be looking at my black and white images at some art photography exhibit in Europe. But I never got any farther than that in modeling. Nope, that big call from Victoria’s Secret or any other big modeling company never came, so I realized that I needed a reality check.

After about two years of trying I got tired of dieting, and getting my body critiqued by people who thought that they knew how a perfect female is supposed to look like. I always had a little more fat than they wanted, and I was never tall enough. I realized that this career must not be for me. Later on, I got married, settled down and found my calling as a freelance writer. When I go to fashion shows these days, I look at the models strutting their stuff on the runway without regret. Through my experiences, I realized that all women are beautiful in some way, and it’s not up to anybody but themselves to determine what it is that makes them beautiful. One woman may be proud of her good looks, another one is chubby, but always has a great hairdo, and another one may make the best brownies in town.

For you professional models out there and for model wannabes, don’t get me wrong. Just because I didn’t break in, I do not think that modeling is bad, and I don’t hold any grudges. If you like it, and it rocks your boat, more power to you. I’m just saying that we women know best what makes us look beautiful, and it’s not up to anybody else but ourselves to determine what it is.

Bio: I am a 27-year-old freelancer, born in the Czech Republic. I moved to USA in '96 and got my degree in journalism from Texas Woman's University in Texas. I live for writing, Tarot, travel, karate, yoga, animals and issues that have to do with women's rights. I write a variety of articles for online and print publications, dealing with everything from spirituality, environment and politics to pets, traveling, ethnic, essays, vignettes, etc. I live in Denton, TX, with a hubby and a bunch of pets.