Only the Rich are Beautiful

I work at a high end Chocolate shop in an upscale "mall" in Del Mar. Del Mar is what my peers and I would refer to as bougie. What that word means, to me, is extravagant, excessive, and refers to the unnecessary displays of wealth of the upper class. My friend came to work with me the other day, she had some studying to do and would accompany me at work, not to mention enjoy the perks of my working at a chocolate shop, coffee, tea and chocolates, the perfect study aids.

We people watched the entire time. Although this is one of my favorite pass-times, it was different here. On this particular day, the sun was out, so laser-removed hairless legs were fully exposed by white Michael Kors sun-dresses. Sun glasses took up half the faces of the women, rested on the perfectly defined cheekbones, and reflected the shiny lip gloss. Everybody had beautifully glowing skin. They were all thin and radiant. Lounging at the Starbucks next door, or venturing into the Chocolate Shop for gelato. Nobody in a hurry or stressed. Clean hair shone in the sun. Clothes fit tightly, neatly, cleanly. Everything was pressed and went together. My friend commented, "Everybody in Del Mar is beautiful." I got to thinking about it and came to the conclusion that the wealthy are an attractive bunch. They probably have good genes as they been financially successful, they had to make some cognitive decisions in their lives, and did so well. With money, comes luxury, clean food, a good night's rest, the time to workout, shower regularly and groom oneself properly. They have the money to have regular doctor's visits, catch any health problems that may arise at an early stage, and practice preventative medicine, in their sleeping, eating and exercise habits. Furthermore, the wealthy hardly marry outside of their circles, so then we have good genes mating with more good genes, producing offspring with good genes who will be taught to take care of themselves, and be successful, in addition to inheriting the estates of their successful parents. Now the beauty of this country is this is achievable. One is able to get a loan and get an education, get a job, pay off the loan and if they are smart about it, make their own small fortune and live comfortably.

It's sad though that good clean food, and good health are, for the most part, limited to those with money.

I look at myself and I do not consider myself poor, I often times may find myself broke, but I am by no means poor. Currently I think I am in the worst health of my life. I have not been sleeping regularly, my eating habits have been poor, even though I know better, my exercise is sporadic, I am constantly stressed, and taking on much more than I can handle. In response, my body is angry with me. Despite the obvious weight-gain that accompanies poor eating and lack of exercise, my skin is completely broken out, not only in pimples on my face, but I have bags under my eyes, constantly, and my eczema is completely flaring on my hands and arms. This is just another lesson, or reiteration of what I already know, of the importance of taking care of myself. I don't need to have a lot of money to get a good night's sleep on a daily basis. To eat balanced meals, regularly. To get outside and just go for a walk, or use the swimming pool in my apartment complex. And also, to not commit to more than I can handle.

Although I think it's easier for the wealthy to take care of themselves, as more often than not they lack stressing over money, I think what is more important is education and common sense. There should be a push to educate young parents on how to raise their children, feeding them properly and making sure they are active. I have hope for our country. Although we are not in the best health of our history, I think we possess many potential leaders, not only political, I mean social. I believe we are currently in the midst of a food revolution. More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of eating quality over quantity. The amount of literature available about food and how to eat is reassuring and should be supported. One of the pioneers in this field, as far as I know is Michael Pollan, his book Omnivore's Dilemma was assigned for reading in a seminar class I took on nutrition and was fascinating and extremely educational. I suggest it to everyone.