Prepare yourself to be "Surprised".

Just recently we all embraced another *book by its cover* media moment that catapulted a very everyday person with delightful talent into the spotlight.
Susan Boyle, as advertised, DOES have talent. And though I am sure a certain judge's eyes lit up with exploding dollar signs, I am also sure that certain judge also thoroughly was charmed by the voice...and the potent backstory. He looked momentarily smitten.

We all were smitten. Some, more than others, though, were highly guilty of the obnoxious visual ridicule often doled out without regard to sensitivity at very everyday people when they look less than airbrushed barbie doll/matiness idol perfect.
I'll mention the verbal vileness later.

Easy judgmental ridicule, unfortunately, will never go away. In particular, in regards to the less than the aforementioned airbrushed perfection that much of the world has come to value more than genuine character, it permeates a very ugly part of our society. Easy targets, we imperfect people of everyday life. Easy targets, those who ARE in the spolight and lean away from the trend of perfection expected in some bland, predictable, cellulite-free but dangerously potent world of ungodly physical expectations. It takes no brains. It isn't a challenge. Easy. Ugly. Mean.

After all, when we so readily point fingers at others' physicality we don't have to exert any time trying to improve ourselves in any way. We don't have to address our own imperfections. Internal and external.

When anyone does that kind of judging, we all should be totally ashamed. Of us when we do it, of others and society for putting up with it. And not just for the fifteen minutes it takes for the media to recover and start finding ways to criticize the very person they just wanted to magnify to teach lessons in grace and humility. We should all conscientiously STOP the crap.

Moving on to the verbal ridicule. With all the fabulous plusses of the Internet, the vile ugliness that annonimity presents to judgmental...spooge...on social message boards and article comment columns has magnified to a wretched level over the years. Say anything, be as crass and disgusting as you want...it's only words and comments on an Intenet and very few will ever be held accountable for their ugliness.

It's sickening what gets put out there without any accountability or civility. It's also the baggage of a more free society.

But, pushing aside the soapbox I find myself tettering on the edge of and getting my revved up, ranting tush back onto the original subject...(la la la)...we should always be prepared to be surprised in life.

Surprised by the quiet or subtle talents of everyday people walking around us. Surprised and passionate about the subtle or honest talents of the unairbrushed. Our lives are filled with them. These people who don't "look the part" but provide us with a richness of spirit and beauty that is invaluable in today's chaos and stress. Daresay, we all have a certain talent to our personality that is there to be admired.

THAT is the reality. Everyday gems. In brown paper wrappers, with non-glittering bows.

It is easy to shut out the potential and rewards of surprise behind a repugnant mask of ridicule and judgment. It isn't the least bit smart.

We should be seeking these surprises wholeheartedly in every walk of life. We should not be afraid to BE that gem to someone else. Yeah, yeah, I know for a fact that there are people who just ARE mean, and rude, and crass and will not have a LightBulb moment of clarity. Ever. Yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah. But I also believe that they are few and far between if you just give people the benefit of the doubt of being human, you will find surprises all the time.

We should be prepared for that. With anticipation and even some giddiness.
Not to reek of Pollyana perfume, but come on. How long is it going to take to knock off the crap of equating physical beauty with worth and give ourselves the gift of enjoying the diversity and pleasures of humanity on every single level?

Cherish the existance of Surpises.

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words?

More like one word is worth a thousand pictures, these days.

I love good photography. A brilliant picture can bring me to tears depending on the subject matter. I adorn my walls at the Goddess' lair with some pretty potent copies of moments in time that bring a tug to my heart and a million thoughts to my mind. Our world would be a much duller place without the dreams and visions and memories created by the perfect pictures of our lives and universe.

BUT...(you knew there was a big BUT coming! Hey, don't knock big buts ...grin...)
Why the hell does every single gawd blessed moment of every single political press conference shown as "breaking news" on CNN, HDLN or MSNBC (sorry, I refuse to even consider that other moronic cable news station as anything but a permanent skip in my remote control channel list) become an instant audio battleground. The battle becomes the fight of actually HEARING what is being said over the constant, ridiculous whir buzzz click of countless cameras that are manned by photographers that OBVIOUSLY cannot get a good shot in the first thirty seconds and should probably be in another profession or start stalking some hapless celebrities. COME ON. The people speaking barely MOVE.

How many pictures does one need of our beloved President turning his head slightly to the right or left and oooo, ooo, raising his hand an inch to clarify or magnify his words?

WORDS. You know, the things coming out of his mouth that you can't HEAR because the dayyyyyam photographers NEVER STOP CLICKING.

Honest to Pete...hey, who is this Pete anyway?...take the damn pictures in the first minute, then shut UP with the camera clicks.

With the feed they had this morning on all the news stations, there was a most annoying interference of media click-hounds relentlessly vying for...who the hell knows, the perfect picture of the President sitting almost motionless at a table?...drowning out every second word he was trying to say.

Moronic.