The Bark & The Bikini

I found hundreds of these tree bark striplings lying in the gutter, covered with mud. They had fallen from a Manzanita tree on a populated street in La Jolla. Countless people stepped on them as if they were garbage, not noticing them at all. But their paper-thin delicacy and colors captivated my eye. After rinsing them off and drying them in the sunshine, I arranged them in this vase.

This kind of ‘treasure’ hunting is second nature to me. I do it with people as well. Rarely do I judge your book by its’ cover. My X-ray vision sees smack through dye jobs, makeup, jewelry, tattoos, facelifts, poofed-lips and into your psyche. Besides, a recent study found that if you think beauty can be improved on, you’re more likely to take risks; the kind that can hurt yourself and others.

The only beauty you’ll ever improve on is within you. Outer beauty is fleeting. Efforts to enhance it are superficial and transitory. Just ask any aging movie star. Lucille Ball once told me, “The hardest part of getting old is that everyone expects you to look like you used to.” At the time, she was only 64! While it takes time and travails to improve your inner beauty, it will endure long past the outer.

My daughter gave me this blue bikini for Christmas. It fit perfectly, but I was reluctant to model it for our company. She thought it was because I don’t feel good about my body, but that’s not it at all. My aging body is awesome. You just have to look past the wrinkles to truly appreciate its splendor! Since that’s hard for 30-somethings to do, why shatter their illusions now?

Happy New Year to my readers from 67 countries! Love knowing you’re there!

P. S. I swam in my bikini today and imagined I was that tree bark come to life—best viewed from a little distance with just a dash of backlight!