A Rare
Beauty
It makes me sad to think of how
these days, young people are growing up so fast.
Though I myself am only 25, it seems as though
teenagers are living more "adult" lives
than even I am. Innocence has become a rare commodity
and what is truly beautiful is getting lost in the
mix. Although this may all
sound pessimistic, an unexpected glimmer of hope came
to me as I rode the bus home from work on Monday, and
she seems to me even now little more than a vision.
Most girls I see and meet don't seem to dress or act
with the same delicate innocence they once had, but
this young lady did...
She was in her late teens and
walked with all the confidence of youth. Shoulders
straight, eyes to the world, she made her way to a
seat by a window. I can't tell if she noticed the
stricken young man seated behind her, but as she sat
down, a slight smile escaped her lips, revealing a
hint of white teeth. Her features light and her nose
slightly upturned, her pale green eyes flickered with
the joy of a full day coming to an end -- possibly
one spent talking or shopping with friends.
The bus began to move, sluggish
with its rush-hour burden. In her delicate, ringless
hands, she held a handbag, resting it on her lap in
the folds of a dark blue cotton skirt. The straps of
her sleeveless blouse were fastened behind her neck
with a carefully placed safety pin, leaving her
shoulders exposed. With skin the reddish shade of
brown of a fresh late-summer tan, her back was smooth
and lightly freckled, crowned with golden-brown hair
held up to reveal a milky neck. Three silvery
barrettes whose white paint had been chipped away by
wear held her hair in place and a few free golden
strands fell away to rest on her cheeks. In the lobes
of her ears, she wore two simple silver rings and
flowers that clasped diamonds which reflected the
rays of the setting sun. This same light struck her
eyes and as she rummaged through her bag for a pair
of sunglasses, delicate muscles in her tanned
shoulders folded gently to match the strain.
I fumbled with the book I was
valiantly trying to read, but found it impossible to
concentrate. Even when I looked out the window, it
caught the reflection of a lightly blushed cheek and
the gleam of a silver earring. I was simply
mesmerized. I wondered to myself how rare such a
beauty has become, in a time when the thought of
innocent glamour has been stolen by the lust to be
sexy. "Why should I be surprised to see a girl
exude such innocent beauty?" I asked myself.
"Isn't that supposed to be normal?"
Well... it is, isn't it?
There are few things more
attractive than the innocence and simplicity of a
youthful body and mind, full of potential and life.
None can deny the exhilaration of a future still
unknown, the beauty of glowing eyes and faces
tingling with hope and laughter and curiosity.
So to all the young women who
may just happen to read this: please don't be in such
a hurry to sell your youth. Take my word for it, you
don't have to be a sex object to be beautiful. Don't
scar your body and most of all, don't try to grow up
too fast. Be innocent while you can and revel in the
beauty of what you have right now... You won't always
be so young.
Oh, and to the girl on the bus:
thank you.
Yours truly is a rare beauty.
