Hoochie Mamas at the Beach

Kay, can I first tell you how much I hate typing on an iPad? My fingers are asking why we can't do our regular typing things. Hunt-and-peck - that's so not me. Not since high school typing class. Best class I ever took, I swear.

Also, this Auto Correct thing? What a pain in the arse! Sometimes I choose to lengthen out a vowel. Type it eight times to emphasize a word. And Auto Correct chooses to make my word into two new words that have nothing to do with my original word. Hate. I know how to spell, iPad. Let me do my thing.

Kay, so I swear on the sword of Indigo Montoya that I will upload these pictures this afternoon - pictures of what I'm hoping to tell you about, but they're on the hubby's phone, and getting him to send pictures he's taken to me is like twisting arms. Like pulling teeth. All of those cliches. We even may have a video for you. You'll love it!

Oh, and P.S., I'm feeling much better. Good thing I waited for three hours at the insta-care and got my pooh analyzed. Good thing we'll be paying for that... Ah well. It is what it is. I had no idea at the time that I would feel better the next day. I just knew that I couldn't go another day feeling like I did.

So, um, sorry if you thought I might be hospitalized or dead or something because I was all, "I'm deathly ill," and then I suddenly disappeared... I'm good. And no longer 3 pounds lighter, probably. I've been super-naughty with my eating. Ice cream! Milkshake! Carbs! Naughty, Naughty Kar. But I was in a celebratory mood.  "My husband got a job that pays peanuts! I have solid poop now!" These moments must be celebrated.

Alright. On to the hoochie mamas. No, iPad, not "hoodie mamas." Hoochie mamas.

So please don't think from this post that I'm a judgemental person. I'm really, really not. I just...really love people watching. It's one of my favorite pastimes. I think people are funny. I especially enjoy when people aren't trying to be funny and they're funny. Those are precious moments.

So we went to the lake a couple of nights ago. We have to go in the evenings because it's been like 108 degrees every day since we've been here. We just can't bear to go out in that. So we wait until after dinner until it's cooled down a teeny bit.

So we found a spot and Ben and I sat on the shore with our feet in the water, which actually felt lukewarm. And if you've ever visited Lake Chelan, you'll know that it is always, always icy cold. This weather is actually heating up this enormous lake. It's insane. That's just how hot it is. Anyways, the kids splashed and swam around and we were just enjoying ourselves.

We couldn't help noticing some girls playing in the water to our left. First of all, they were wearing really skimpy bikinis. Strapless bikinis. One of them had like a lace-up back. Honestly, they looked like they were wearing lingerie. I didn't appreciate how they were dressed. My hubs doesn't need to see that.  They looked to be in their early 20s. It was just the two of them. And they were taking selfies. And modeling shots of each other. Frolicking in the lake. Splashing around. Click-click. Making Duck Face. Click-click. Cheek to cheek duck face. Click-click. I mean, they spent like an HOUR taking selfies.  "Here we are at Lake Chelan, and we're spending our whole time taking selfies instead of hanging onto that huge piece of driftwood over there and trying to stand on it without it rolling over or swimming to the dock and climbing out onto it and singing the Rocky theme to ourselves while punching the air or throwing pebbles at each other. Or sitting with our feet in the water and having a deep talk about life. Or looking for little clam shells. Or floating like starfish. Or racing to the dock. Or dunking each other." I mean, there are so many things they could be doing, and instead, they're taking selfies. "Look at how much fun we're having!" When they're not really doing anything fun. They took their pictures, then climbed onto their towels and reviewed their pictures for an hour and probably posted them.

I don't know. I should stop being so judgie.  I mean, social media has its place, right? I love that I can see what my sisters-in-law are doing. I love that I can see what my sisters who live far away are doing. I love when they send me articles they liked or memes that reminded them of me. I love that stuff! I love that you can ask if anyone nearby has a such-and-such you can borrow. I love that you can put something out there about how you're feeling and can have those who care about you rally around you.

But I hate when people take pictures of themselves "doing" something when all they're doing is taking pictures of themselves and not doing anything at all.  I hate that reporting about doing something has replaced doing the actual thing.

But what I think I hate most of all is when people girls base their self-esteem on getting attention (the wrong kind of attention) from boys. I'm realizing now that what I'm feeling toward the girls is not a
self-righteous judgmental kind of feeling. I'm realizing that I feel sorry for them. It's actually a maternal, "Oh, I feel bad. They need to do this to feel good about themselves" kind of a thing. I want to go give them a hug and tell them that they should put their phones down and just enjoy the sunset and talk about life goals or how their families are doing. Or to read a good book. To find fulfillment in a way that will bring them true, lasting happiness. Not just Facebook " likes." Likes don't last. They will feel fulfilled for about two seconds, and then need to take some more selfies of them dressed scantily in a bar, taking shots.

I'm not saying I know more than them or am better than them or anything. I guess I'm saying that I'm grateful. I'm grateful that I feel good about myself. I'm grateful for the gospel, which gives me true self -esteem. I'm a daughter of God. I don't need likes or followers or whatever, because I know who I am. I'm at peace with that. It's a relief, really. Not to have to base my worth on whether a boy lusts after me or whether I'm pretty or ugly or whether I look perfect on Facebook or not. I can just lean
back, relax, and watch my niños play in the water and enjoy the feel of the cool water on my toes. Because that's what life is all about.