The Stiletto Philosopher

Just the other day I was discussing why it is the media keeps filling the news with a bunch of junk that isn’t news .  Well, they’re off on another tangent designed to make us all a little less intelligent.

Apparently, we should all be up in arms (no pun intended) over the sight of First Lady Michelle Obama’s arms.

Are you kidding me with this?  Her arms?  We’re actually taking polls and surveys about whether the site of her arms is offensive?

Well, guess what, y’all?  I am offended.  Not with her arms, but with the fact people continue to focus on things that just do not matter  When I see this picture, I think about the courage it took for that young lady pictured with Mrs. Obama to write the letter to the President.  I think about how there are children growing up all over our country who receive a sub-standard education because of where they live.  I think about how if more people were willing to take the time required to help America’s youth then our future - I’ll say that again…our future - wouldn’t have to beg for the education they deserve.

And yes, make no mistake, the youth of this country does deserve a proper and well-funded education provided by a team of educators who actually care about their students and the subjects they teach, rather than the teachers who’ve been beaten down by an educational system that cares less about education and more about standardized test scores.

Sorry.  The rant on the failings of our current educational system is one best left for another time.

Anyway, those are the things I think of when I see this picture.  There are others out there who only see the First Lady’s bare upper arms.

I suppose this should come as no real surprise since it wasn’t that long ago President Obama was blasted in the media for being photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket.  I have no idea what he was working on when they took the photo because we should all be far more concerned with what our president wears than we are with what he does.  Frankly, if I were president, my appearance would be in shambles on a regular basis as I struggled to keep my sanity under all the pressure of the presidential secrets.

Here’s my question: Why do we all labor under the misconception that wearing a suit makes us professional?  There is a stark difference between looking professional and being professional.  Trust me on this point, y’all.  I worked in a very professional environment for a number of years and I know first hand that an airhead can put on a suit and that won’t enhance her level of professionalism.  Conversely, I observed some of the most professional behavior out of someone wearing their vampire costume on Halloween one year.

Then again, when living in this materialistic society, I shouldn’t be surprised when people wrongly assume a person’s clothes and appearance are indicative of their quality of character.

Personally, I applaud First Lady Obama on her sense of style and the fact she’s not bowing down to conventional dress codes.  Am I alone in this?

Jen

“The difference?  I make sarcasm look good.” - even when I’m not in a suit.

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