Practically Perfect in every way – Really???

Mary Poppins described herself to be practically perfect in every way, which give her two little charges something to live up to, and as in turn out also to those of us who grew up post 1950’s. Before in the 50’s woman and men had prescribed roles, women got married and stayed at home, cooked, cleaned and looked after family. Dad went to work and paid the bills. All was happy and contented. Well perhaps not, but how you looked didn’t really start to be an issue until the ‘ box’ (television) showed everyone how a woman could look ie glamourous and men could be men.

I have been thinking about what it means to be perfect. The dictionary describes it as “conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type:
Or
excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement
Or
exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose
Or my personal favourite and unattainable
entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcoming!!! Really!!!

The Mail on line recently featured the story of a rare ‘perfect diamond’ worth $20m, one of the largest flawless diamonds . It didn’t just turn up perfect -no, a craftsman took 21 months to polish it to its perfect state. The Head of Jewellery at Christies Auction House, Rahul said ” a perfect diamond is the result of the skill and vision of a master cutter, who is able to uncover beauty from a rough gem”. This is one of the issues, perfection isn’t an accident it’s a process (I think). For most of us mere mortals we are born and take a life time to reach our potential and this is sometimes confused with the quest for perfection, to which no one can attain surely.

I think being human means, ‘life’ is the Master Craftsman, it polishes and chips away at us, through our experiences and the process goes on way past 21 months, I am 50yrs and hardly past a rough diamond stage.

A unknown author quote said
” I’m perfectly imperfect!!! But God looks beyond my faults & supplies waaay more than my needs”. Which I find comforting. in fact when I looked, I found there were loads more imperfect quotes than perfect, it seems most of us acknowledge (even if some of us don’t like it) our imperfect (ness).

Hussein Nishah said ” Stop trying to fix yourself; you’re NOT broken! You are perfectly imperfect and powerful beyond measure”. Strong words of encouragement, if only I could get rid of that fix gene.

So Why is all the interest in perfection? Has the world gone mad? I think it has, both men and women now feel the pressure to look amazing not just good, (no more 1950’s drab looks allowed), achieve more than ever before (the pressure causing both boys and girls to self harm on a terrifying scale). Now I am not against making the most of what God provided, and thanks be to the cosmetic companies for concealer, but really do we all have to look like Jennifer Aniston or that really slim girl from Twilight who looks like she is about to faint from hunger? I have more chance to look like Lady Gaga and she was mistaken for a fella! I look at my friends and see beautiful and handsome people and who could prove otherwise, that’s how they look to me.

It’s not even just a single persons problem, couples have to be the ‘perfect couple’ or do they? Dave Meurer said “A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.” that’s a great quote Dave but how come those differences are what everyone focuses on?

I think I have found where the problem lies – it’s the definition of perfection. The flawless perfect diamond was only deemed perfect according to a criteria some diamond experts decided on. A made up criteria! So are we mere mortals confirming to a criteria of perfection some ‘expert’ somewhere has made up? Or are we making it up ourselves, pushing it to limits that even we don’t understand? What’s is the criteria and where did it come from?

But the good news is that it’s not the 1950’s, we don’t have to confirm to anybodies criteria of perfection, nor do we need to beat ourselves up for not being the prettiest, cleverest, strongest or any ‘est’, no we are just need ‘to be what we were meant to be’ ourselves are we not?

I have some incredible flaws, think there are some I haven’t even found yet! But I trying to let my life experiences polish me, in the hope I can be the best I can be, don’t think I have much choice really.

But I am basing this strategy on the fact it’s the flaws I see in my friends and family that makes me love them, to me their flaws shout “character and adventure, tears and laughter, joy and sorrow”, No – perfect just doesn’t do it for me, sorry Mary Poppins, you might just have to take a spoonful of sugar with that ……..