there is much to admire about michelle obama but my favorite thing about her is how she has made a point to reach out to young girls. i can't find the video of it (side note i can't stand that all i keep finding is articles about her clothes, her hair, she touched the queen...i mean ugh i give a fuck) but basically she communicates the messages that i have always wished every girl could hear: to be confident, take control of their destiny through education, and to recognize the importance of strength and dignity. to be united with all women rather than trying to make oneself better by putting another down (praise be to lil kim, gotta have love for her hot mess self). these concepts may sound simple but far too many girls don't realize the importance of them.
its not like its the first time young people have heard that the "mind is a terrible thing to waste" (i mean thank you uncf...) but it just sounds different and relatable coming from michelle. like lauryn hill, staceyann chin, and more, michelle reaches out to the spirit of girls in a profound way. also she touched upon a subject that is seldom brought up but terribly important and that is the facets of romantic relationships.
too often girls measure themselves by standards of society like the appreciation they get from boys and materialistic measures. think about how many girls aspire to be the girl in the video with all the attention rather than the girl who stays up every night studying to be a doctor. how many of them strive for the relationship valued in how much their man does for them monetarily rather than spiritually. it pains me to see girls who don't see how special they really are and try to live up to the expectations of some boy and don't realize their full potential. i feel like i see lots of girls in relationships who put too much emphasis on pleasing their man and not themselves (and no i'm not talking about sexually). the whole concept of "if i don't do it then the next girl will" is such bs, i mean fuck it, let the next girl do it if it's not part of who you want to be. they seem to act a certain way out of fear of disappointing or losing their man when they need not fear a damn thing and just keep it moving.
now comes the preachy part: understand the joy that comes from liking to make the man in your life happy and from letting him know he is truly appreciated. however, never make that man your end all, be all and always make it clear how you are to be respected. if he can't get down with it, forget him, there will always be someone who will. bottom line, know who you are, know what you want, figure out how to make it happen and never settle for less.
peace.
J
