Reaching New Heights

As a second-generation Asian American college student, Angela had a lot to say about beauty standards. Growing up in a predominantly white suburb, she never felt like she stuck out for being pretty; she was always just the "Asian friend" who completed the diversity expectations of her friend group. She especially felt too short to be desirable. Until one day, in the psychology lab, she and her roommate Tiffany were messing with some equipment when a beam of energy shot out and switched their bodies. After a few minutes of panic, and several hours of failing to switch back, they returned to their dorm. 

It was so weird looking through the eyes of a white girl. Angela spent years trying to accept herself for who she was, not to conform to other people's beauty standards. Yet here she was now, a white woman. Now she had all the perks and privileges she used to curse herself for not being born with. Pale skin, green eyes, auburn hair, long legs and torso, even the light pink color of her nipples. She didn't know how to process all these conflicting thoughts. "Hey Angela?" Tiffany called from their shared living room. "Can you come out here?"

Angela walked out to see her own body naked. "Oh my god!" she screamed. "Why aren't you wearing anything?"

"Sorry, I just wanted to explore my new surroundings. I hope that's okay. I love your body, by the way." Angela's eyebrow raised.

Angela paused. "...really?" she asked. "You like my body?"

"Of course. I'm so jealous of your height. I always felt so gangly and out of place. And I think your body has better proportions too. We have the same sized boobs, but yours actually stick out. Plus the color of your nipples is better than mine. Is that weird to say? It has like, better contrast or something."

Angela almost blushed. Someone actually thinks she's pretty. Just the way she is. "Um, what did you want?"

"Oh, I wanted to see how my own body looked from the outside. I've never seen it that way before." With that, Angela took off all of Tiffany's clothes, leaving them both naked in the living room together. As they explored each other, a realization began to emerge for Angela. If Tiffany liked being in her body, and they could never figure out how to fix the machine that switched them, why not just stay like this? Maybe those beauty standards aren't so bad now that she fits the description. And at 5'9", she could now literally reach new heights.