Acceptance, Beauty, and Prosthetics

I watched Aimee Mullins talk about her 12 pairs of legs, and the definition of beauty. Aimee had to have both of her legs amputated at the knee at age one because of a medical condition, and even though she is missing her legs, she is an actress, an athlete, a model, and an inspiration to people everywhere. She started off her talk with an experience with elementary schoolers and their reaction to her legs. Instead of being weirded out, they were curious and started to think of all different kinds of legs that they could make for her. The kids reacted this way because the teachers had not told them not to. Aimee sees the way education and the school systems train and censor kids to life because they need to pop out these perfect cookie cutter citizens. The awful thing about this is that kids are new to this world, so they are open to anything and willing to try it all, and schools take this away from them by showing them that there is only one specific way to do something. For example, I've been told not to stare at people that are disabled and I don’t because that’s how I was raised, but little children don’t know that, so they walk up and ask questions (that to some adults may seem rude).  This act of approaching a stranger that is different is not acceptable to some people. But who decides what is acceptable? Does society push these ideals onto kids at such a young age that they don’t know any different? I think that every kid is exposed to these norms in school and by the time they are done with school, that is the way they will act for the rest of their lives. Kids are so easily influenced by how people act around them, and when a certain level of acceptance is shown, that is how they’ll act too. Aimee, as a model, also brings up the question, what is beauty? What is this perfection that so many women strive for and who told them that is what they’re supposed to look like? Beauty and acceptance from people around you is one of the highest things people want to achieve, because at a young age through the media and people around them, kids learn that being flawless is the ultimate goal. Aimee stretches this ideal by bringing in new design and beauty into her prosthetic legs, so much that people don’t even realize that they are false. She has gotten several legs from designers all over the world, and the most important part is that they are able to merge beauty, technology, and practicality into one package. From her talk I feel inspired to show people that beauty cannot be, and is not, defined by anyone. You are your own person, and if you feel good and confident in yourself, nothing else should matter.