Ariel Winter, the “smart” daughter on Modern Family, made my Facebook feed because she arrived on the red carpet wearing a dress that revealed part of her scar from her breast reduction surgery. Apparently someone somewhere said something and she responded back that she is proud of her scars.
So she should be.
I have nearly 100 scars thanks to various moles being removed and melanoma. Most are too small to see. The biggest is several inches long and it travels across my back. Thanks to the excellent work of Dr. Kenny Barraza and time, it has nearly faded away. But it is still there. I feel it burn occasionally. It reminds me that it is part of my story. It’s who I am.
That’s what scars are. They’re like lines on a map. They tell people what great travels you’ve had. Mine do. I’d be dead without them. So I am very proud of mine.
I get that Hollywood is superficial and worried about looks. I’m glad I live in the real world. Or at least a world where a scar is a cause for a celebration.
I think that of that when I see a wounded warrior. I know they get stares. I did early on. I just hope that if they ever read this, I know what their scars mean. It’s a badge of courage. Of honor. Of service.
And so it should be.