Vain is her other name

I have been scratching my head all week thinking of what to write out of my assorted ideas to share with my dear readers and then I remembered that there is something I have never quite understood: women’s obsession with beauty. Do not take me for a male chauvinist, I do respect women-but what baffles me about some of them is how possessed they are with their looks. Given the freedom to enhance and show off their beauty (some are denied this by society and religion), a woman regardless of her age, will don the fanciest attire complimenting her natural look with sophiscation and inexpressible beauty. Actually women are attractively created and made in a special way so as to draw the attention of their male counterparts. Has a woman ever walked into a room and all eyes turn on her, people temporary forget what they were doing and the effect lasts for most of the time she is there? It happens every day in offices, classrooms, conferences and even churches! It is this amazing beauty that women are naturally endowed with and they are aware of it, unfortunately some use it to get things done their way! Newspapers feed us with stories of teachers being induced to reward undeserved marks to female students, pastors and the church clergy misbehaving and jobs being given through the backdoor because of someone’s beauty. It is an old time thing; even Samson (the strongest man of all times) got outwitted by the beauty of a certain Delilah. So we are not questioning it; women-even those who do not realize it- are beautiful in an extra ordinary way. Remember beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Most advertising agents capitalize on women’s captivating beauty to draw buyers for various skin products, perfumes and even cars! My wonder is how come, despite all this fuss about them, the most beautiful of women still crave for more beauty and attention! She knows she is the most attractive person around and all eyes are on her yet she asks a vain question like “do you think I am overdressed?” She deliberately put on that sparkling red dress to the office stopping by every mirror to appease her ego and almost got knocked down for absently staring into people’s side mirrors; still she needs that extra compliment. If not given the assurance that they need, some women might even end up in a mood you would rather not find them in. This conjures up a memory of a story I once read, I am sure you did too, of a jealous step- mother who being the beauty queen of her territory could not withstand the looks of her gorgeous step-daughter who was becoming more competitive by the day. Normally, when the queen looked into her mirror it loyally told her that she was the most beautiful lady in town. However with time, even the mirror noticed the budding beauty of the girl, Snow-white and once told it to the queen’s face “No My lady, thou are not the fairest of them all. The lass, Snow-white exceeds thee in beauty and form”. I do not quite remember the words but it was something to that effect. Short of shattering the mirror into pieces, the jealous queen poisoned her step-daughter who miraculously escaped death. Well it is a kindergarten story and I do not seem to remember the ending but it taught me something-do not tell a woman that someone is fairer than them even if it is the most evident truth. Relationships have been broken by this silly mistake that men keep making. Even when some of you are stupidly ogling at other women while your better half is beside you, dressed to kill, she might notice and I won’t totally blame her when she opts for the exit door. I want to clarify that not all women get their confidence from men’s admiration, some are very smart and confident and do not cling to every compliment from the opposite sex. But ladies admit it, if you do not get complimented for that wonderful hairstyle that you spent all your patience and money getting fixed, you might not take it kindly. Men, if you want to charm your way around a lady no matter how unyielding she may be, begin by complimenting her on her looks, hairstyle, complexion and even make-up, take note of the details. Remember she made all that effort to look good, so she needs some appreciation. Of course you cannot go around throwing any compliment that crosses your mind at any woman; most of them are not that gullible and might angrily retort or throw something at you for commenting on their body. What you perceive as a compliment may actually be an insult. While I do not fully understand some women’s obsession with their looks, I am flabbergasted by some men’s tendency to dress, talk and act like women-something to do with misplaced hormones. But that is a topic I will reserve for another day. Contact: dedantos2002@yahoo.com