I’m middle aged and barely acquainted with social media, so this article , The #LuckyGirl’s Lie, about the pressure female millennials face to appear perfect doesn’t apply to me. I’m intrigued anyway.
Apparently young women are posting shots of themselves on instagram looking like they are leading perfect lives. (Isn’t that typical of all social media?) The article talks about how women will say they are lucky, rather than acknowledge the blood, sweat and tears it takes to get where they are. It mentions researchers in Stanford who say young women want to appear as ducks, “seen as serenely gliding along, but in fact under the surface are paddling ferociously.” I love that image. Maybe there is a correlation between that and the horrid duckface every young woman seems to make when posing for selfies?
See? I’m old and out of touch. I don’t do selfies or social media, I just make snarky remarks about duckface girls like a crusty old codger. What do I know?
I do know that there is tremendous pressure on women to be perfect and have it all. Like author of Curse of the Good Girl Rachel Simmons says, declaring oneself as lucky is a “commentary more about women’s reluctance to take ownership of their accomplishments.” That could be true. Nothing comes easy and to shrug off one’s accomplishments as luck discounts the effort that it takes to get anywhere, especially as a woman. At the same time, however, I feel like luck does often play a big role in who gets the shiny stick and who gets the shitty end. I know a lot of smart, savvy women who work hard and still don’t rise to the top. I know wonderful, gorgeous women who are looking for a partner and can’t get a date. I know super health conscious women who get diagnosed with breast cancer. Sometimes luck does play a role.
I feel fortunate about a lot of things in my life that are not a result of hard work or because I am more deserving than someone else. It is all dumb, blind luck. I want to acknowledge it because luck can change on a dime. If I say I am a lucky girl, I am not #humblebragging or “blatant envy baiting”, as the article implies. Can’t a person be sincerely grateful without being an asshole?
I have placed a hold at the library on Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, the book that prompted The #Luckygirl’s Lie article. I am number 431 in the queue for the book. Now that I am trying to be a minimalist I can’t just rush out and buy the book to appease my curiosity. Obviously, with that many holds, the book is hitting a nerve. At least to the younguns.
Thanksgiving is this weekend. I am thankful for all that I am fortunate enough to enjoy. I will happily and quietly say that I am a lucky girl.