Shut up and dance

School is out, the kids are home and we are working on shifting into full-fledged summer mode. There’s plenty to be excited about: Vacation, ballgames, riding the bike trail, seeing friends and working on our yard and garden are at the top of the list. Stuff that should probably be occupying my attention more than how I’m going to deal with the fact that my legs haven’t seen sunlight since last September. And how to remedy the fact that when I put on my white sundress, I look like a jar of marshmallow fluff.

Don’t get me started on swimsuits.

There has been plenty written about the importance of a healthy body image, but not nearly enough to cover the barrage of information women get on a daily – well, let’s face it, minute-by-minute – basis about the latest opportunity we have to improve ourselves.

Jennifer Weiner wrote a column for The New York Times a few days ago about the tension between promoting a healthy body image and making sure we’re camera ready at all times. Who knows when the next Snapchat or Facebook selfie opportunity might present itself?

I have been caught many a time in this ridiculous juxtaposition, so I can relate. Not too long ago, my husband snapped a photo of my kids and me. Instead of being happy that we were enjoying time together, I was more concerned about my face looking a bit too fat and the threat of a double chin, so I made him take a few more shots for good measure.

I wish I could take back even a fraction of the time I spend worrying about stupid crap like that.

It’s hard. Timaree Schmit had a fantastic opinion piece in Philadelphia Weekly about body image and how trying to will ourselves through decades of social messages about needing to be attractive to be worthy of love puts a whole new layer of pressure on the “love your body” mentality.

She goes on to give practical advice about how to physically and mentally get into a better place to appreciate your body. One of her best messages is this: Spend more time being an interesting person than being a hot one.

Well played, Timaree. Well played.

Speaking of well played, there’s a group of young adults that have formed the “Bread and Butter String Band,” and they are talented and interesting and full of joie de vivre. I have known many of them since they were shavers and it’s been so fun watching them grow up.

They recorded this cover song, and it’s fantastic. So instead of concluding with the age-old “lay off yourself and start loving” message, I’ll just say this: Spend some more time being interesting. And while you're at it, shut up and dance.