IMPERFECT VS PERFECT

I read an article last week about imperfectionism (which apparently isn't even a word - how imperfect of them).

I don't want to say it bothered me, but something about it wasn't quite right. (read it yourself)

I'm sure you've noticed an upswing in "real life" posts on a lot of blogs out there, too.  The things I'm afraid to tell you craze that took off last year was a great reminder that the shiny and polished lives people instagram, tweet, and post about are only brief glimpses into very "normal" and imperfect lives.

Somehow, Jennifer Lawrence has become the unofficial spokeswoman of imperfection.

Did you know she fell at the Academy Awards?

(I sincerely hope you caught my internet sarcasm there)

Before I get ahead of myself, let me state very clearly that I think Jennifer Lawrence is beautiful, talented, and that her candid nature is very refreshing.

But I don't think that celebrating her unabashed openness needs to go hand-in-hand with bashing the more polished women in the spotlight.

I mean, in the same sentence that people praise Ms. Lawrence's foul language or, shall we call them, uncensored facial expressions, they feel the need to put down Anne Hathaway.

(note: I have noticed this in several articles, blogs, and other forms of social media - this observation is not isolated to the article I referenced)

Can we not celebrate both?

Can we not admire Jennifer Lawrence's free spirit and perfectly tousled hair and conversational tone and off-the-cuff interviews?

Can we not also admire Anne Hathaway's professional spirit and perfectly coiffed pixie cut and articulate interview responses and acceptance speeches?

Don't get me wrong - I love the notion that there is beauty in our imperfections.  My apartment is a little crazy right now.  But it's a little crazy because I had a fantastic weekend and I set chores aside in favor of a hike and a wedding celebration.  There is undeniable beauty in that.

But when I get home tonight I'm going to sweep and vacuum and finish the projects I started and do laundry and go grocery shopping.  And my apartment is going to be shiny and clean.  And my life is going to look pretty polished and professional.  And that is beautiful, too.

I guess what I'm saying is... celebrating imperfections and perfections doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. 

Let's continue to be honest and open and share our "real life" moments... but when you work hard and that hard work pays off and you have something shiny and perfect to share, you shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed or afraid that someone will rain on your parade and call you a phony.

Let's not turn Anne Hathaway into a villain or an insulting name to call someone who seems to have it all together and Jennifer Lawrence into a hero for being "real" and sometimes behaving a little unprofessionally (there, I said it - it is, after all, her job to be in the public eye).

I, for one, embody a little bit of both of them (and I'm pretty sure everyone else does, too).

Imperfect and perfect can (and do) coexist.

I would love to hear from you on this issue.  What's your take on imperfect vs. perfect?

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