The question “how do you define glamorous?” was recently posed to me.
This question threw me for a loop. It’s just an adjective like any other adjective, right? Since the title of my blog is “Glamorous or Not,” I should at least have some idea of what the word means.
If I had a nickel for the number of times I’ve heard the words “your life is so glamorous” or a similar phrase…
In my search for the true definition of the word, I first consulted Google Dictionary.
Glamor (noun): The attractive or exciting quality that makes certain people or things seem appealing or special.
That definition seems as vague as the French saying “je ne sais quoi.”
So I turned to Hollywood, who told me that glamorous people have a certain physique, glowing skin, trendy clothes, several billion dollars, & their own reality TV show.
Since I have none of those things, I rejected the Hollywood definition & scrolled through #glamorous on Instagram to get a better idea. There, I found thousands of glamorous photos of girls in sexy yoga poses at resorts in exotic, far-away beach destinations.
Definitely #glamorous. But it still didn’t feel like my definition.
Next, I asked Pinterest & I learned that glamorous can be anything from a beautifully-crafted home or a 50-layer wedding cake to a honeymoon in paradise. But I don’t currently desire those things either so I left Pinterest feeling disappointed.
I had appeared to reach a dead end in my search for all things glamorous.
Just as I was about to throw in the towel & scrap this blog post, I had an epiphany. I would sit down & write a list of all of the things I think are glamorous.
This was the result.
Travel is glamorous. A lot of people agree with that.
Independence is glamorous.
Waterfalls & trees & glaciers & lakes & beaches & mountains make very glamorous photos.
Rich, new experiences are glamorous.
Adventure is glamorous.
There can even be glamor in failure & the resulting strength that is required to overcome it. A strong person who perseveres despite struggles is a glamorous person in my eyes.
Sometimes a glamorous day is a quiet one at home reading & writing & drinking tea. Even glamor needs a rest day sometimes.
A really good conversation with a friend over coffee might yield new, glamorous insight.
A conversation with a stranger on a bus could be the beginning of a glamorous new friendship.
Freedom is glamorous. Living a balanced life is glamorous.
Compassion & kindness are human traits that I find glamorous.
My sister’s artwork is certainly colorful & glamorous too.
Playing in the mud with a puppy & a 5-year-old is fun & I think all fun things are glamorous.
I think that the mysterious leopard seal that I saw in Antarctica was the most glamorous creature.
The person who doesn’t give a F*&% about what others think… now THAT is a confident & glamorous person.
Sitting under the stars & contemplating God & life & the vastness of the universe with someone I love sounds romantically glamorous to me.
…My glamorous list went on & on. I realized there are so many things I find glamorous– too many things. This led to a second epiphany.
My life & everything about it is glamorous. The adventures, the struggles, the magical moments, the shitty bus rides, & the not-so-glamorous moments are all part of this glamorous life & are, therefore, essential to defining it.
The true definition can’t be found in Hollywood or Instagram or Google. True glamor is found within & around all of us every single days– even on those seemingly ordinary or not-so-glamorous days. Glamor is a matter of perspective.
Glamor. You have it. I have it. It’s that elusive & magical something. It’s the stuff of life.
Maybe the word glamorous can’t be defined– not really. Perhaps the French got it right. Maybe glamorous really is just that “je ne sais quois.”
