In my post of January 2nd of this year, I commented on the subject of beauty and what makes a woman beautiful. That post was inspired by an article on the CNN website that discussed the concern of actors (mainly women) that the extreme fidelity of high-definition TV closeups magnifies whatever flaws they have.

Yesterday, CNN came through again with an article on how celebrities prepare for their walks down the red carpets during the Hollywood awards season. The article was titled, "Nipple Covers, Hair and Other Red Carpet Secrets," and documented the extreme concern of Hollywood luminaries for their appearance as they parade before the lights and cameras.

And that's too bad.

German entertainer Harald Juhnke sings a marvelous song titled "Keine Falte tut mir leid" (loosely translated, "The Wrinkles Don't Bother Me"). It's a very clever song that speaks to me more clearly every year. Here's the last verse, along with my nickel translation:

Ich sag dir keine Falte tut mir leid (I tell you, the wrinkles don't bother me)
Ich bin ein Mann mit viel Vergangenheit (I'm a man with quite a past)
Ich bin nicht wie die jungen Glatten (I'm not like those sleek youngsters)
die noch nichts zu Leben hatten (who haven't yet really lived)
jede Falte könnt 'ne Story sein (Each wrinkle tells a story)
suchst du 'nen Schönling sag ich "sorry!" - nein (If you're looking for a stud muffin, I'm sorry)
ein Buch zu schreiben bräucht ich nicht (I don't need to write a book)
mir steht mein Leben im Gesicht (you can read my life in my face)

Many commentators smarter and more erudite than I have commented on the culture of beauty and youth that we have created in America, and I'm certainly (as I admitted back on January 2nd) a happy observer of beautiful ladies. But the simple fact is that we all get older. The wrinkles form, the hair gets gray (or, worse, deserts us), gravity pulls on muscles lovingly crafted by hours at the gym, and we spend millions of dollars each year on cosmetics, wrinkle creams, botox, liposuction, and all the other magic remedies to try to recapture the beauty of our youth.

But why? As for me, I'm happy in my increasingly decrepit old carcass. I can still dance, I like to think I can still be an interesting social companion for ladies of all ages, and I believe ever more firmly in the old saying that God compensates men for getting older by ensuring that each year there are more women we find attractive.

With or without cosmetics and enhancements.

Have a good day. Be comfortable in your body...it's the only one you'll ever have.

Bilbo