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RAA E-lert>
Women Dig Scars? -Or is it the story behind them?
July 19, 2007
We’ve all heard the expression, “Women dig scars.” Usually,
the phrase is tossed out when beholding the aftereffects of
a particularly ghastly maiming. To be sure, there is an
undeniable appeal where scars are concerned; they might
mark a magnetic bad-boy (or girl) persona representing a
romantic ideal for some. So is it the scar itself that
holds appeal? Perhaps this is the case for some. But, I’m
willing to bet that it is the story or experience behind
the scar that is really appealing to most.
Tattooing is a form of scarring that is also in vogue. The
most powerful tats are packed with meaning, a picture of a
child, a Marine Corps insignia, a spiritual reminder.
Tattoos that serve as mere decorations may not be as
fashionable in a decade (or five). They could be considered
capricious elective scars – like rubbing holes in brand new
jeans to lend them some character. Tattoos that come with a
story are infinitely more significant – they are like scars
that have been earned through hardship and adventure. The
tattoo might be skin deep, but the meaning sinks all the
way in, which can make it irresistibly attractive.
Occasionally, I’ll see a 4X4 absolutely covered with mud –
even the windows might be solidly dirt-encrusted with only
the clean sweep of the windshield wipers providing a
peephole out of the cabin. The whole effect screams, “I’VE
BEEN OUT RIPPING UP THE ORV TRAILS AND HAVING A BLAST! HOW
ABOUT YOU?” With a tinge of envy, I picture the fun the
driver must have had piloting the truck through some goopy,
unknown crevasse. It is another version of scarring. The
dirty 4X4 is not what is appealing to me, rather it is the
WAY it came to be in that state that inspires my
imagination.
Now consider how many SUVs and trucks are prowling the
highways and city streets – fully capable of going off
road, loaded with features designed to conquer gnarly
terrain, bristling with potential. I’ve seen them, shiny
and clean with chromed wheels and burly brush guards,
Hummers, Land Rovers, Jeep Grand Cherokees. The majority of
them will be lucky if they ever touch a dirt road or punch
through even a minor snow drift – never mind a true off
road adventure. They are glorious, 8mpg monuments of
untapped potential.
But we’re not really talking about SUVs at all. Do you know
people who have all the equipment to live life Full Tilt,
but don’t? Are you equipped with fancy options like,
amazing creative intelligence, a hidden musical virtuosity,
a legendary endurance? Are you using the tools you’ve been
blessed with to improve yourself and the world? Think about
it.
My wife dislikes my North Face duffel bag, which I use
frequently. I love it and am attached to it despite its
haggard looks. It is a rough looking piece, but still
functional and structurally sound. It is a medium sized
silver bag with thick straps that serve as handles. The
waterproof silver coating over the canvas has detached from
the under layer and is torn in several places. There are
dark marks and discoloration from years of hard use. One
zipper has lost its pull tab. The first layer of stitching
where the steel loops connect to a shoulder strap is coming
undone. It’s condition is a reflection of several decades
of travel to most of the earth’s continents, probably
100,000 miles strapped to the back of a motorcycle,
countless uses as a race bag, trips out dancing while
containing drinks and sweat-free replacement shirts as well
as a thousand other uses.
My North Face bag’s appearance has been earned through
years of hard adventure. If it were a Land Rover, it would
be covered with mud from an African watering oasis. I
didn’t realize how much I’m attached to that bag until my
wife started to point out its bedraggled condition and
suggesting a replacement. How could I sacrifice that
history, the legacy of great adventure? In life, it is what
you experience and do that earns you the scars that mean
something. Bear them with pride and confidence and women
(and men) will dig them, too.
My beloved North Face duffel.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p4f87fcd742abcd095de852b64d72343e/e886a6f8.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p9d844dace39988ab83dd055cde209b0b/e886a5cb.jpg
This license plate and mirror were bug-ified with 3000
miles of high speed highway travel. They tell a story.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pdd10823da212a7
45836051217569153/e886a3ee.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pb407880a069cc7
80b98b32da3d6065b/e886a514.jpg © Kerry Ward 2007-2008
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