I LOVE those beer goggles!

Those of you that drink, or used to drink, may know the term “beer goggles.” For those of you not familiar with this term, urbandictionary.com describes beer goggles as “imaginary optical aids through which ugly women begin to appear attractive after you have had too much beer.”

I always wind up wearing beer goggles on my Saturday nights out. What sets me apart is that my beer goggles don’t make me think that other people are more attractive, they make me think that I look more attractive.

Before I go out at night, I often struggle with my outfit or my make-up. I work to look good but usually end up feeling sub-par. I wind up shrugging my shoulders and going out to have a good time anyway. However, after one beer and during my first trip to the bathroom, I think to myself, “I actually look pretty good tonight. You go!” I walk out of the bathroom with my shoulders back and my head held high.

On my second trip to the bathroom and at least one more beer, I stop to admire how DAMN good I look. If I wasn’t married, I could really knock the guys dead.

On my third trip to the bathroom and three beers in, I don’t even stop to look in the mirror. What’s the point? I look good, I know it. No need to primp.

So what if my hair has gone wild and my mascara is smudged. If I think I look like Heather Locklear, who cares what other people think?

This phenomenon has been affecting me for most of my adult life. It may be the reason that I like to drink a few beers on Saturday. But more recently, I am trying to develop beer goggles for the times when I don’t drink. Shouldn’t we all feel so confident about ourselves that we don’t need to look in the mirror? My practice every day is to shut off that inner voice that is critical of my skin or my weight. I work to appreciate the parts of me that still work and still look good.

On Sunday mornings, when I wake up, sadly my beer goggles are gone. The early signs of dark circles are showing under my eyes and my skin looks ashen. There are no beer goggles for 7 a.m. and I am back to living with myself, the way that I am today. But even on those days, I will attempt to love what I see, accept all of it and appreciate that I am alive, happy and healthy (despite the slight headache.)