Vanity-schmanity
"If one has no vanity in this life of ours, there is no sufficient reason for living." Leo Tolstoy

I did something the other day that I vowed I would never do. Botox. When Botox first appeared in the news as the latest and greatest thing in the war against aging, I thought that anybody who would even consider injecting botulism into their face was insane. And I think that everybody can think of some creepy Botox faces gone very, very wrong - Joan Rivers, Nicole Kidman ("the freeze"), etc. But years went by, I read about it, researched it, and then spoke to my dermatologist about it. And took the plunge - literally - the needle plunge into my face. And the difference is subtle, which is exactly what I was looking for. I just did the area above my eyes, and I no longer have the fine scrunchy lines between my eyebrows and my eyes don't look so tired. It's a bit freaky to not be able to make some fine movements with my eyebrows, but for the most part, I don't notice a difference at all.

Am I vain? Maybe. I try to take care of myself by eating right and exercising, and I've become much better at this over the past few years. Acne and sun exposure have taken a big toll on my face, and I've spent more money over the past year trying to correct the damage that's been done than I've probably spent in the other 38 years combined. So the question I kept asking myself when I was trying to decide whether I would do the Botox or not: Is it wrong to want to look good? And to do little "extras" to look good? What's the difference between the treatments that I got to get rid of my acne scars and sun damage and wanting a little Botox?

I like the age that I'm at. I don't want to be 20 again. And I don't want to try and look 20 when I'm 40. I feel that I deserve to do some things for me, and me alone. Whether that be a new, expensive bike (which I just bought), a little Botox, or a trip to Paris - I'm going to do it.