Thanks to fellow Tumblr, Lauren, I'll be speaking and reading at a Smithtown library mid-August.

If we haven't met at a book club or Tweet up—or even if we have—let's make some Long Island-shaped memories. Also, drinks somewhere afterward, because summer.

CitizenKerry posted an excellent piece this morning about women being okay with how they look.  I hope she doesn't mind if I throw my two cents out there, because I absolutely agree with her.  I am 36 years old and can remember life before the internet, when it was only TV commercials and glossy magazines telling us girls we weren't pretty/skinny/blond/whatever enough.  (I know guys have a certain amount of pressure to improve their physical appearance, but for the sake of this essay I'm talking about women.)  The internet has drastically increased our exposure to advertising that makes us think we're not "enough".  Throw in the dermatologists trying to sell cosmetic procedures, and it's very easy for any girl, regardless of physical appearance, to think she's an ugly duckling.

Lately, I have made a conscious effort to try and deal with all the messages being thrown at me thanks to frantic advertising aimed at our consumer-driven culture.  What I figured out is that I have to run everything through my These Products/People Don't Speak To Who I Am-filter.  It's not easy.  It's a relentless bombardment from a billion dollar industry, but it's necessary so that I can continue enjoying articles in magazines and shows on TV without thinking, "Gee, maybe life would be better if my teeth were whiter."  And I am not about to let negative advertising run me off from the things I enjoy.  I'll find my own way around these obstacles.

I have to trust my own judgement in these cases.  That includes the doctors who want to push unnecessary procedures and products.  Medicine is big business these days and, unfortunately, profits are often more important than our health and well being.

Now, I am a girl who loves her lip gloss and mascara.  I buy and wear these products, and others, because I like them.  But the important distinction is that I don't feel pressured by society to wear them to make me a better or more attractive person.  The choice to wear them or not is mine and I do not feel less-than when I don't wear them.  We have the power to use products without letting them define us.

I was lucky to be raised to know that my worth as a person does not rest wholly on how perfect my skin appears, or how glossy my hair looks.  I am worried for the girls who are exposed to all this who are not sure of who they are or who they want to be.  The ones who don't have friends and family to remind them they are just fine with frizzy hair or freckles.  More than fine, they are incredible.

If you aren't following her already, check out CitizenKerry's tumblr. She's doing this interesting series wherein she's learning about life in America by interviewing people on different topics and lifestyles. She's done Rosemary and Jen as well as many others that I didn't follow so reading her has exposed me to some other really great people.

I'd have pimped her anyway but she's in the process of finishing an interview with me too. Eek! So there's that. I was more nervous answering her questions than I was being interviewed by the NYT lady. Well, cuz you don't want tumblr to think you're a douche but the NYT? Nah, who cares what they think.