people observation #12: women, please don't be afraid to show your intelligence.

[well, it's only halfway through december.]

While babysitting a few days ago, I was watching a new show on the Disney Channel called Shake it Up. Two best friend girls are the main characters and the way they acted made me sick. One of the main characters is an independent girl with cool style, but pretends that she is stupid to get a boy. She ends up getting the boy. I don't know why Disney would portray a girl in this way, a channel dedicated to helping tweens deal with the anxieties and self consciousness we go through in a "funny" way.

There is nothing funny or attractive about playing dumb.

There is no good in pretending you are not

the brilliant woman that you were made to be.

Intelligence is a beautiful thing. And you may think, "oh I'm not very smart," but we are all intelligent in different ways. I have a friend who has an incredible GIFT in being able to read people. She just knows. Some people have ginormous hearts, and they can love and listen to anyone. Some people kick ass at school, some people kick ass at life.

On the finale of my favorite show Amazing Race last week, my favorite team in the history of the show, Brooke and Claire, got second place. I don't think I could say it better than Claire:

"The ideal of being a strong woman either means

that you're a grumpy boots or that you're

this really masculine, gnarly chick. No!

You can be feminine and still tap into

that femininity while still being a very strong woman."

Amen. You can be a strong woman. You can have beliefs, have a brain, use your brain, hold true to your character, work hard, work very hard, treat people fairly, and still be beautiful. In fact, that is what makes a woman beautiful.

all the women who independent

throw your hands up at me.