Make-Up

Last night I went to the MAC counter at Rosedale with my sister-in-law to be. We were getting our make-up done as a preview (or potential one) for the wedding on 5/23. All of the preparation for the event is a little bit surreal. This is my brother Chris' wedding. He was married maybe 5 or 6 years ago. His first wife was named Beth (still is, I suppose). For the first wedding, I was asked to be a bridesmaid but after a wicked fight with my brother I was kicked out the wedding and ceremoniously told not to attend the event. My mother intervened and I was allowed to attend, but I wasn't in the wedding party as planned. Now, years later, here I am again on the brink of wearing a bright pink strapless gown and I'm thoughtful about it all.

For instance, Luke and I have been together for 11 some years. We've never had a wedding or gotten married. Of course, it's been on the table, tabled and the like. We've never been a financially well-to- do couple and so the wedding always seemed like a major investment for us to attempt. Luke proposed once while we were snuggling, but it turns out I said "yes" in my sleep. We laughed about it and then went on with our lives. We also believe that all people should be able to be legally married and we don't necessarily want to be a party to something that only the "privileged" can access.

So, with all of my thoughts about marriage and being raised by a single mother, staring at my made-up face last night was a little surreal. I want my brother to be happy, I do. Do I think he and his wife to be are meant for ever after? I don't know. Who knows? what a random post. I meant to write about the phenomenon of make-up and why only women are encouraged to cover up what we look like. Strange. I ended up musing about marriage.

Take your pick. Write about your thoughts and beliefs about marriage OR the giant mega-industry that is make-up. I mean seriously, I look VERY different with make-up on and it's unsettling, but my mind or trained conscience says, "Oh, you look pretty" but then I think, why is THIS look pretty, when it isn't really me? Wild.