I recently saw Barbra Streisand in concert, and since then I haven’t been able to get an anecdote she recounted out of my head. Mrs. Streisand told the audience how one of her album covers was retouched to remove the bump from her nose. She was infuriated she said, because, ” this nose and I have been through a lot together”. I’ve always admired Streisand’s career (she’s one of the few to have an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Tony!), but more than that — I’ve admired the fact she’s gotten to where she is without succumbing to the pressure to change how she looks.
There have been moments in my life when I’ve considered eliminating the bump in my nose only to decide against it. Each of those times I’ve reminded myself that it’s this very nose that’s gotten me to where I am today. I remind myself that I personally don’t have an issue with my nose but I’m sometimes fooled into disliking it because I realize it doesn’t conform to society’s so-called standards of beauty. I see images of “beautiful” women with their small, smooth noses, only to look at myself in the mirror and notice my own nose looks nothing like theirs. This in turn makes me insecure.
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