It is a sad day. . .R.I.P. Bettie Page

In an age where role models for people are that of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears or even somebody most worthy of such a title, Barack Obama. That scenario can take on many forms and for me it was a very curvaceous form. I remember the first time I discovered Bettie Page it seemed as if her timing was perfect. I watched her "E! True Hollywood Story", listening to stories of her life and those that loved her. At that time in my life, my eating disorder had spun out of control. I obsessed over definitions of beauty in hopes of becoming someone worthy of that title. In an attempt to look like the supermodels of the that time, I had to starve myself, make myself throw up, and work out like a mad woman. I wanted to look like these rail thin beauties in order to attain ultimate acceptance. Then I saw Bettie Page, and she penetrated the obsessive world that I was consumed with. She was not your typical beauty and she had the most amazing curves I have ever seen. There was no mistaking her beauty. I began a search to learn more about this woman. I found a picture of her naked on the beach. The most amazing part of this picture was that she looked liberated and happy in her body. That was something I felt the opposite of at the time. She represented freedom to me and ultimate beauty in a way that defied social norms. I would no longer need to be a prisoner of my body. I could eat and be curvy and I would be beautiful. More so than that, I would be free. My favorite part of Bettie Page's story is that at the height of her career, she gave her life over to God. Even with all of her success, she still desired the ultimate acceptance of her creator. Being a Christian myself, that part of her story meant the world to me. I have been healed of my eating disorder for now almost seven years and I owe a lot of that to Bettie Page. My life began after my eating disorder and I have gone on to face my fears, fly to Louisiana for hurricane Katrina relief work and I am now on my way to becoming a missionary in Rwanda, Africa for two weeks. What a difference a testimony can make. I am not your typical Bettie Page fan. I don't have a lot of tattoos. I don't have her famous black hair and chopped bangs. I really don't care for the bondage part of her modeling, but I admire the woman that redefined beauty for me and challenged me to give up this unrealistc pursuit of beauty and just live.