Vanity

118. No matter how humble a person is, there still remains whether one likes it or not, that little streak of vanity. Human beings, high and low, are born vain creatures. You can see it plainly in malls, billboards, the television and other sorts of media. One can see it in schools and their little cliques. So long as it's not excessive, vanity in my opinion is acceptable. How else can our species survive if the males did not find the female species attractive in any way and vice versa? People would not come together as they have done for more than a thousand years if beauty, outer and inner, wasn't a highly prized commodity and self- love a vehicle to make it so. But never excess since it results to unfounded pride and narcissism and that leads to the undoing of many. But where does this fit in our relationship? Awareness of vanity, of beauty, came for me before I met you in college. It lead me to take care of myself more in all areas. I lost weight, dressed myself better, took better care of my skin and learned to apply make up properly. I doubt I would have turn your head, had I not done otherwise and remained the sad ugly duckling. It simply would not do. After one month of knowing one another I had a boyfriend. I was proud to be desired by the likes of you although it was reckless going headlong into a relationship with a person who had so much more experience. On your part vanity I think came quite early when you were a child. You were made to be escorts to many events and were the class valedictorian when you were young. When you were older you had six other girlfriends, captain of the basketball team and a volleyball player. Not to mention winning a school pageant. No wonder I was in awe of you in the beginning. No wonder I didn't have the strength to say no. What I am trying to say is that the streak of vanity lives in both of us and may have had a helping hand in bringing us together. We held each other close and looked at the mirror in my house and liked what we saw. In fact, we were absolutely tickled by it. We looked like we belonged together.