Born to be Sexy?


Several hundred people were riding the Seattle ferry back home after an afternoon of football. Tired fans were watching the fading sun as it cast purple shadows across Mt. Rainier. It really was a beautiful evening on the water. I was riding solo, so I enjoyed watching others enjoy themselves. Then I noticed another solo passenger.

She was probably in her mid teens. Even though it had been a nice autumn day, it wasn’t hot, yet she was wearing the shortest cut-offs. They covered more than a swimsuit, but barely. And let’s just say her crop top matched her shorts. She was taking laps around the ferry deck, staring straight ahead—seemingly oblivious to the stares she was getting.


Oh sure, on a beach her outfit would blend right in. But not on an evening ferry. This isn’t a judgment call, but perhaps it is—on all of us.  Because we are either wearing it, staring at it, judging it, or saying it doesn’t really matter. Is the skin show a game?  If so, who wins? I don’t think women do.

Women have become objectified in advertising and entertainment—two vastly influential spheres in our world. We send a message by what we wear. Flashing flesh isn’t new, but it’s still a choice. We can encourage our young girls to see themselves as savvy, smart, and having the abilities to be successful.  Where can they learn this? It begins at home—girls can learn that they weren’t born to be sexy, but born to be uniquely amazing.

I watched the young girl walk off the ferry and hop into a waiting car. Presumably the older woman behind the wheel was Mom. Parenting teens isn’t easy, but it’s the homestretch before adulthood. I hope in the time remaining this beautiful girl learns that her worth is within her heart and mind, not in skimpy outfits.


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