“…that love was meant for beauty queens, and high school girls with clear-skinned smiles who married young and then retired.
”No, those aren’t my words—they belong to Janis Ian, who wrote this anthem in the '70s for the rank outsiders, of which I was one. It was on my sister’s playlist, which I devoured secretly.
The song came on the radio the other day, and suddenly, I was her again - excruciatingly aware that I wasn’t blond, or tan, or lean. Embarrassed that the only male attention I got came from sports coaches and drama teachers—and no, not the appropriate kind.
I felt like a freak. But I really, really wasn’t. I looked like this. WTF was I thinking?
All the things that set me apart back then—the independence, the creativity, the way I didn’t fit the mould —became my superpowers. They helped me build a career, raise two big-hearted, unique young men, and make a difference to the people in my world.
Beauty, I’ve learned, is so much bigger than we think it is at 17. It changes, morphs, deepens. It’s not just in the curve of a smile or the angle of a cheekbone—it’s in how we grow through challenges, how we shape a life we’re proud of, how we connect, create, and thrive.
At 17, I thought beauty meant being someone other than me. Today, I know the real power comes from being unapologetically myself.
I raise a glass to the outsiders, the late bloomers, and those who couldn’t peak early even if they tried. 🥂🍻🧉To seeing our beauty—and our strength—even when it’s hard to recognize in ourselves.And to Janis Ian, for writing a set of lyrics Lorde would be proud of.
Oh - and to me who can finally say: oh yeah, I am really happy I was that girl. Tell me about you at 17.
*think I was closer to 20 in these pics. Nice dress, wonder what happened to it?