Culture

In a Word . . . ugly

‘Looking at those old photos is to realise how little we regarded ourselves by appearance’

“Of course the allure of youth is mere packaging. Glitter. Wonderful, beautiful glitter.”

Patsy McGarry's face
Patsy McGarry
Sat Nov 14 2020 - 00:30

“Ugly!”, she said. “Ugly?” She was shocked and I was happy once more. She is one of those people I enjoy provoking. It’s the reaction, you see. The outrage is instant, intense and so predictable. Hilarious. Even after all these years those pressed buttons deliver every time. Press, and behold.

I had been watching a repeat of a programme in that wonderful UK Up series. It has been following the lives of 14 British people since 1964, when they were each seven years old. There has been an episode every seven years since, so spanning 56 years to date.

The most recent was titled 63 Up and was shown on ITV in June 2019. It was repeated recently and included a brief look at each person through the previous programmes since 1964.

It was striking how badly some of the participants had aged.

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Old photographs

She and I were discussing this and the ruthlessness of Mother Nature. How indifferent she is to our tender humanity as, having served her purpose, we are stripped of all allure as we stumble past our sell by date to be discarded, mere husks of what we once were.

I couldn’t resist. I told her I was looking at old photographs of us all in our own youth and remarked: “How ugly we have all become.” It worked.

“Ugly!” she said. “Ugly?” Being such an old friend she should have known her buttons were being pressed, but she never does.

When I say “old friend” I do not mean old. She is only 29. She has been so for decades and probably will be for many years to come. And, in truth, she has aged very well, being frequently mistaken by others (not me, never me) as a sister to her daughters.

She probably thinks this is about her. (Don’t you? Don’t you?) It’s not.

Of course the allure of youth is mere packaging. Glitter. Wonderful, beautiful glitter. Looking at those old photographs of us all back then is to realise how little we ever regarded ourselves by appearance then any more than we do now. We were, as we remain, just us.

Until there are buttons to be pressed and a guarantee of the outrage to follow. “Ugly? McGarry, just what do you mean, ‘ugly’?”

Ugly, thought to be from Old Norse uggligr, for "dreadful, fearful".

inaword@irishtimes.com

Mother Nature