How Do You Measure Up?

A trip to the zoo isn't supposed to render deep theological ponderings. I'm just supposed to go . . .and leave my brain at home, aren't I?

So why, when I approached the penguin habitat with my little Jude and his twin cousins Olivia and Camryn at the Dallas Zoo a few days ago, was I spiritually accosted by the little sign by the measuring stick?

"How do you measure up?", it read.

Simple yet possibly staggering in it's implication . . ..only if you take it out of the context of comparing the height of your toddler with that of a mature penguin, though.
The zoo keepers didn't mean to bring to mind societal pressures when they created this cute little hands-on activity but my mind went there. I think it had a lot to do with those two sweet girls standing by that sign. I not only saw how their height compared with that of the penguin but how their mindset was sure to be affected by that question, thrown at them from all sorts of people and paradigms, as they blossomed through adolescence.

I've been affected? Have you?

I can remember thumbing through magazines, innocently scanning the images inside and quietly measuring myself by the girls pictured on those decorated pages. And, it wasn't just my body that I began to mentally place side-by-side with what I was seeing, it was my idea of what romance, success and home life were supposed to look and feel like. Measuring up wasn't just about the make-up I was (or wasn't) wearing, it was also about the guy that I dated, the college I chose and career path I set for myself.

I didn't know this was happening. It's all so subtle - this lure into the world of comparison with the impossible standard set by "them" but, it's clear, we are losing so many of our girls to it, aren't we. 
Far too many. . .

And, by the way, it's not just a girls issue. Rearing three boys has made that startlingly clear. I've been shocked by how aware and concerned they are about their appearance and what type of electronic gadget is in (or is not in) their backpack when they go to school.

Who knew "penguins" were such culturally astute mammals.
Priscilla