Imperfections are beautiful!

I have never liked perfect things. A little imperfection is always welcome. I took the following picture, a selfie with a Kodak camera. I don't even remember the model. If you look carefully, you will see some lines in the picture. @bambuka would know what the defect is. But if you ask me, this is my favorite picture and perhaps the only remnant of that camera.

I'm crazy, I know!

Sometimes, a crooked smile is what adds to someone's charm. I never like those perfectly beautiful faces, perfect white teeth, or perfect smiles. A little bucktooth smile—I love it. I prefer a bit of asymmetry, maybe a scar on the cheek. Do I like imperfections? Absolutely! Imperfection is beautifully human, and we would be dull and grey without it. Ideals of 'perfection' are just a smokescreen of dishonesty and pain. Don't you agree?

But then again, this sweet spot and empathy for imperfection may stem from my own imperfections. I can never claim to do something perfectly. I don't know why I never strive for it. Instead, I always have this stubborn way of doing things my way. In class, my essays were never deemed perfect, nor were my assignments. They were sometimes different, maybe average, sometimes amazing, but never perfect.

I sometimes enjoy capturing these imperfect shots in the glow of red brake lights. My other half often asks, "What's the appeal in this?" (Well, to be honest, he asks this about every capture, especially the selfies, so don't mind him.) I don't have a clear answer, but I like how they highlight emotions and dimlight ( _{it's not a word, don't look it up in the dictionary}) your features.

Perfection is overrated! That glossy, polished, sterile ideal—what even is a perfect speech? Can anyone truly enjoy listening to it as an audience? Argh... I'd rather hear someone ramble than endure a perfectly scripted, grammatically flawless speech. Despite my love for grammar, those overly formal speeches give me indigestion. Again, I sympathize with myself because I can never deliver one flawlessly. Or maybe I have a hard time coming to terms with this term...

Now, you might say that perfection is an illusion, and things like this... I know it is. But albeit it being very subjective and referential, it is a standard that somehow prevails in society. In beauty ads and toothpaste commercials, we see the perfect teeth, the perfect hair. Okay, let's rephrase it. I have been avoiding this... The beautiful smile and the figure that we know as perfect... No, I don't find it appealing because a little imperfection is always welcome :)

There is a profound beauty in imperfection...

You are shy, easily embarrassed, not one to toughen up, clumsy, prone to laughter at yourself, radically honest, or have a tendency to overshare. No, you are not perfect, but you are you, and you are so beautiful.

I don't know who else needs to listen to this, but I definitely needed something like this...

There are situations in life when you need to be tough. This is definitely not my trump card.

You know what? You are you, and I respect you for exactly that! Because that's what we need. We don't need perfection; sometimes, we need empathy, and maybe we can't go against our nature. That's not a fault; it's the universe's way of finding balance. The nature can't handle all the stubbornness and toughness, so it created people like you!