Narcissism.

Mirror, mirror on the wall....who's the fairest one of all???

Much to my disgust I want the mirror to reply "YOU! You Zara are the fairest maiden in all the land, famed is your beauty and none shall surpass it" ... I spend too much time looking at my reflection. Spoons, rear vision mirrors, shop windows, peoples sunglasses, water in toilet bowls...if it will display my mug I'll be looking. And while it is unlikely I will be punished to falling in love with my own reflection like Narcissus in Greek Mythology or be inspired to become a model after catching my reflection in a spoon, narcissism is certainly not a healthy characteristic to have.

According to wikipedia narcissism describes the trait of excessive self-love based on self-image or ego. My penchant for gazing at my reflection is not so much on the 'excessive self-love' side of things, but rather the fact that I have to keep rechecking that, yes, what once was one eyebrow is now two.

Generation Y (those born circa 1979 to 1990, depending on what source you believe) is viewed as synonymous with narcissism. I recently saw a comment that stated 'Gen Y make me sick' on a link a friend posted on facebook to an article on an aspect of narcissism. This made me think, well...about.....me and how I fill the typical 'Gen Y' profile...

I found the following statement in an article titled the 'A - Z of Generation Y' on the Herald Sun website... (click here to read the whole article)

"THEY'RE hip, smart-talking, brash and sometimes seem to suffer from an overdose of self esteem. And if there's a generalisation to be made about young Generation Y people, it's that they don't like waiting...they are ambitious, demanding and apparently born to rule. Right now!.....They are generally socially aware, and tolerant and accepting of cultural differences.....They are the most technology-fluent, multi-tasking, adaptable and team-oriented group in history.....They either want their work to "make a difference" or feel work "makes no difference" at all"

Yes, Generation Y may be a group of narcissistic, over zealous, self indulgent, consumeristic, impatient twits (or twitters) glued to their laptops with their ipod in one ear and bluetooth in the other. But they are also pioneers in terms of social justice, bridging the gap between cultures, genders and social standings, striving to make the world a better place (even if it is just to make the world a better place for themselves!).

Like any generation, Generation Y has its positives and negatives. I certainly fit some characteristics of stereotypical Gen Y profile....and other ones I do not. However, I am completely aware of my lack of self-awareness and probably do fulfil more the characteristics than I like to believe. Either way, I get defensive when society criticises Gen Y...isn't it society itself which shapes and moulds the generations in the first instance?

How does God fit into this???? Narcissism does not parallel at all with the life Jesus calls us to live....living humbly and serving others without intention of personal gain or recognition. Philippians 2:14-16 in the Message translation of the Bible states:

Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.

The New International version puts it like this....

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life— in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour for nothing.

A crooked and depraved generation...a squalid and polluted society....pretty accurate description if you ask me. Whether it be Gen Y, Gen X, the Baby Boomers or any other generation before that...each generation is and has been crooked and depraved, searching for God amongst all of the junk, the rubble that we create. Jesus came and brought life and freedom.

So while I might be a Gen Y'r in theory (and to some extent, in practice)....the generation I really desire to belong to is God's. A generation which lives a life of freedom, walking in grace, overflowing with mercy, serving without attitude or expectation, living uncorrupted amongst the corruption and shining like stars in the universe.

Clothes.

Over the last three years (while I've been at uni), many of my clothes have been from the op-shop. Surprisingly, I would regularly get compliments on my op gear. Nevertheless, I've found that some of my friends have an aversion to op-shop clothes, often due to the fact that a person who is now dead, may have once worn them. Others are bothered by the 'old folk' smell. Neither of these reasons have deterred me from frequenting the local salvos, vinnies or lifeline. A good wash and the item would be rid of any hint of old spice or lily of the valley.

I have found however, that since working full time and having double my previous income that I am making purchases at more 'illustrious' shops. It ain't Chanel, Gucci or Dior, but its a bit 'better' than my regular moth-ball get up. Having this disposable income has made me aware not only of my consumeristic tendencies, but also the emphasis we put on the clothing that we wear.

This emphasis on clothing isn't just limited to females. There seems to be an ever increasing number of males who are becoming fashionistas. Yes, a guy should look presentable, not wear stripes with plaids or in my opinion any shade of pink, but when a fellow spends more time in the bathroom than you do, has a better skin care regime and is prettier than you - the line should be drawn.

Truth be told, we tend to express our individualism through our clothing. There is this group of high school kids who catch the same bus as me in the morning and I always find it really interesting to see the outfits they choose everyday. It reminds me of a time in my life when I was unsure of my identity and would switch 'styles' quite frequently, over compensating with what I was wearing to disguise my insecurities.

Now, I find that I have a clothing 'style' that I am comfortable with, that expresses my personality. But what if my clothes were taken away and I was left wearing potato sacks? It would probably have a big impact on how I feel about myself, how I think others see me. As a Christian, this shouldn't really be an issue. I should be confident and secure in who I am because of who God has made me, not because of the clothes on my back.

""No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:24-26