Clothes On!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Today I am grateful that in every picture taken of me since I was two. . .I have had my clothes on! A lot of people are grateful for that, besides me, but that isn’t the point! The point is. . .people can’t “share” naked pictures of you if you don’t let them “take” pictures of you naked. Duh! Geeze. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

There is a huge scandal going on, with local police involved, at the North Penn High School, my school district. Blame is flitting around irritating everyone like gnats on a muggy day! Twitter & Tumblr opinions claim the students in said pictures are being harassed. I don’t like to see anyone harassed but let’s dig for the base of the situation. Is it those who shared them, or those who let them be taken in the first place?

Kids do stupid things. Especially teenagers. Thus it shall always be. Thus it is supposed to be. But there should be a limit on how stupid is stupid. In my day you stole a little booze from your parent’s liquor cabinet and walked down to the jetties on Lake Michigan before the dance at the Armory to drink the whap-a-toolie concoction straight from the pint jar you brought it in. Or you’d buy a pack of smokes and hide behind someone’s garage puffing away until you wanted to barf. If you were a real rebel you did both. . .at the same time. In that case barfing was not optional. It was wrong, but no one got hurt. Then you had to suck-it-up at your grandma’s birthday party the next day and pretend you were fine when you were ready to die from a teenage hangover. Lesson learned. Until the next time. Maybe. That was as stupid as we got. Most of us, anyway. I’m glad no one had cameras or phones or the internet to document it. It’s bad enough having it singed in my brain and much easier to forget.

When on earth did it become acceptable for girls (and/or boys) to either take naked pictures of themselves or let their friends take them? Do they honestly think that all of these hormone-driven adolescents will have the good sense to delete them when the relationship goes sour? Really? Have you met your peers? Some kids get to adulthood crawling up some pretty mean-spirited steps. Some don’t have morals or scruples or the sense God gave a grasshopper. Are these the people you are trusting with “pictures” of you in the altogether? Why? Where is your self-esteem? Where is your decorum? (Look it up.)

Where are your parents? I know they can’t be everywhere, no parent can, but the discussion on respect for your body and to not take naked pictures has to start early and happen often, just like the discussion about sex. If you thought they were blowing smoke up your butt because you were smarter than them, how is that working for you now? FYI - If private parts are involved in any way. . .it’s sex! Also FYI – If you let someone take suggestive pictures of you, someone besides you and he/she will see them. I promise. If you don’t want them seen, then don’t take them! That’s reality. And if you for sure don’t want your grandparents or the admissions department of your college of choice to see them, then please, please think twice and adopt a NO NAKED PICTURES attitude! This is basic stuff. You kids are smarter than we ever were so why are you too stupid to not know this?

Whose fault is it that you’re plastered over social media? The parents who warned you? Your school administrators? The friends you trusted? The mean-spirited-morons who found it necessary to post them? Um. . .unless pictures were taken of you without your knowledge or permission. . .if you’re looking for someone to blame then maybe you should stand in front of a mirror (clothed) and look deeply into your own eyes. You don’t get to be incredulous at how someone could be so horrible to share them if YOU let yourself be photographed in the first place.

Wise up! Take responsibility for your part in the nightmare and move on. What’s done is done. This, too, shall pass. Don’t let a stupid adolescent mistake send you reeling into depression or ruin your entire life. Humans are built with versatility. Find yours. What knowledge are you going to take away from this experience? You better learn something and you better learn it fast, because this is a big one and you don’t want to have to learn this lesson twice!

I hate what is happening with the voyeuristic side of technology. . .with everybody letting everybody know their every move, feeling, or opinion. . .especially what are supposed to be their most private moments. . .every second of every day. Use it for GOOD, people. Good! Keep something for yourself or you will end up an empty shell with no substance. And please don’t spread mean stuff on social media. Don’t look for popularity or humor at someone else’s expense. That’s wrong and you knew it was wrong when you did it. It’s not funny. What is happening to kindness, empathy, loyalty and common sense? Or good old fashioned shame? Shame keeps us in check. Find some shame!

Take pictures of some special moments. . .but not “every” special moment or they won’t be special anymore. Treasure those moments in your heart. Guard them. Enjoy them. Cherish them! But for our sake. . .and yours. . . keep your clothes on! We will all be grateful! And they can’t post or share what doesn’t exist!

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