Inner Goddess

This picture of Roo channeling her Inner Goddess got me thinking about Reviving Ophelia again. Obviously, Roo is pictured here as her glorious summer self. Not worried about the pairing of a bathing suit with cowboy boots. This is because Roo has a personality with opinions, needs and preferences that aren't dictated to her by society yet. She is a whole entity. Untarnished or influenced (except perhaps by practicality and weather).

I should obviously stem the tide of psychoanalytical-feminist reading that I've been doing lately but not till I finish Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters. While I'm still on this rant let me ask - Just what happens to these vibrant, unabashed girls come puberty? And don't tell me it's hormones because although I do agree there's some chemical wackiness going on starting with age eleven, there's also a load of cultural and societal messages that are smacking us females as well. That's where I enjoy placing most of the blame. It may well be a slew of other factors that cause adolescent girls to transform themselves into Quasi-Stepford Robots but for the time being I am content to blame the media. Turn off your t.v. people! Before your daughters are stolen away.

And so this post: to commemorate all of the self assured, capable, loud, adventurous gals ( including myself) out there who died and will die with the onslaught that is puberty. May you and your tangled pony tails rest in peace, you are missed. Note - see Meg's post for a more educated and less dramatic argument on this topic.