When you get tired of shaking what yo mama gave ya…buy something new.

In case you haven’t noticed, the cosmetic business has taken on a life of its own. Back in the day we’d just stuff our bras, use a lip liner and throw on a girdle. Today, within hours we can slap it up, flip it, rub it down, oh no! Something that used to be treated with high respect and regard is now flaunted on prime time television with “get pretty quick” schemes. We’re fixing up the outside, but the inside…remains the same.

Is it just me or has the world gotten a little full of its self? When did God’s given talents and beauty become “not enough” to get us through the day, let alone our lifetime? I’m not sure about other cultures, but I remember many of my friend’s mothers and grandmothers complaining when their little black children wanted to perm their hair. “If God wanted you to have straight hair, you would have been born wit it”, was all I heard. What would they think now? It seems that every other day there’s a treatment or procedure created to enhance or permanently remove that “flaw” in nature.

Let’s play a little game, you name the body part and I’ll name the available procedure. Ready? Go. Head: Well, there are hair transplants to give you hair and Laser hair removal to take it away…forever. There’s Eyelid surgery, Chemical peels, facelifts, forehead lifts and let’s not forget Lip Augmentation. Breast: you can Lift them, reduce them and have them augmented. Stomach too big, forget about giving up the beer and pork rids, just tuck that baby away with a few sucks and staples and you’re on your way.

There are even procedures that are being done to give you the appearance of a different nationality. I love this one. Maybe plastic surgery is the answer to all of our race relation problems. Really, if we all look alike there would be no more prejudices and hate. Those that are too dark can do a chemical peel, too light, everlasting color.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people being able to do a little something extra to enhance their own beauty. However, we’ve got folks out there re-constructing their faces like an etch-a-sketch. Since cosmetic plastic surgery is an “elective surgery” it is NOT covered by most insurance plans. There are young folks that take out loans to get plastic surgery and apply for government assistance to feed their families.

Not to mention the borage of young men and women that grown up thinking that their breast aren’t big enough and their penis is too small because there are more TV and radio commercials promoting elective surgeries and enhancement medications than ads promoting books and education and healthy life choices.

Now how does this tie in to a dating site? Well, who do you think these people date? Where do you think they meet people? The more time, effort and money that is spent on “fixing” the outside, it appears the less is spent on cultivating the inside.

Plastic surgery should be used as a “garnish” not as an entire “meal”. It’s wonderful if it will help boost your self confidence and self esteem. The problem I have is the message that we continue to send to each other, that what we have is NOT good enough. That what we look like is more important than the person we are and the things that we do.

Besides, what I’m really afraid of is seeing a bunch of 80 year old women with hunched over backs and perfectly erect double d boobs. Ewwwww.

This is Leticia…love me like I am.

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