I just got off the phone with one of my geeky friends from high school.  In the grand tradition of many girls who wore bootcut jeans instead of stovepipes (popular at my shitty, snobby, suburban high school in my day), pony tails instead of french twists, and t-shirts with horses on them instead of raiding Mommy's lingerie drawer before school for a silk cami, J (No names!) grew up to be a stone cold, drop dead gorgeous fox.  I didn't do too bad either, considering that for the duration of my high school years, one breast was bigger than the other, I had glasses, and was raised by hippies who refused to let me shop at the Gap or Nordstrom or anywhere except their weird friends' garage sales on moral principle.  Suffice it to say that J and I used our high school years to develop inner beauty.

We talked today about an article she found stating that men, (not boys) for the most part, do not care as much about a woman's body as other women do.  I pondered on this for a moment.  How many hors have I spent at the gym or out running and why?  I like being fit, but if it were really only me...let's be honest, I would not give a flying fuck what I looked like.  There's always a man at the bottom of all the self image and esteem babble we feed ourselves in the hopes that we will find the motivation to tie our shoes and hit the pavement.  EX: I want to look good naked.  Who sees me naked?

Now onto my husband.  The love of my life.  His exact words to me (when I got knocked up): "You have a beautiful face and even if it takes a while to lose the weight, I'll still think you're gorgeous."  He (and many other platonics and lovers) have told me that when it comes to relationships, a perfect body is not required.  A fun personality is.  I think a woman needs to have just enough good looks to snag interest and the rest is gravy.  Besides, to quote my husband again, "Porn women should be perfect.  They're paid for that.  But I'd be terrified to fuck one."

Women on the other hand, are vicious creatures.  My own sister told me after I had my first baby to stop dressing like I was skinny.  I have even been guilty of critiquing the body/face/presentation of a woman, especially if she if with a handsome man. 

So, men, is it true?  Can women stop striving for perfection?  Does it matter if I have a flat tummy or if my ass jiggles like jello?  Or am I just lucky/married to a good liar?