I'm NOT a "pretty girl"

*Warning: this may sound completely ridiculous. But, since it's my blog, I'll ramble about it anyway!*

So, lately, people have been calling me a "pretty girl". And for some reason, that completely gets under my skin. The question, "Are you excited to go to the Science Festival?" should not be answered with the phrase "Of course! I get to go and spend time with a pretty girl. Why wouldn't I be excited?"

I'm not a "pretty girl".

I'm not saying that to be self derogatory. I know, realistically, I'm moderately physically attractive. I ain't no Angelina or Princess Kate, but I'm not hideous either. I'm nicely nestled in that niche of girls who don't make people cringe, yet don't inspire jaw-dropping where ever she goes. That's exactly where I want to be.

I'm saying it because I am so much more than my physical appearance. I'm fairly intelligent, kind, a tad crazy and spontaneous, and generally an overall good person. My personality is what makes me who I am, not what I look like. When people call me a "pretty girl", I feel like they're overlooking the rest of me and just focusing on the fact that I am indeed female. Heck, I dyed my hair to get people to stop looking at my physical appearance and instead have to get to know my personality before they could know who I am.

To me, a pretty girl is someone who dresses in pink, is kind of waif-ish, and has absolutely no substance to her whatsoever. She just kind of flits around, talking about The OC in a high, flute-like voice, and says or does nothing of substance with her life. She's like a ballerina without the sick dance moves, unbelievable skill, or amazing control.

I'm not that kind of girl. I have freaking substance. And if you want to hang out with me, it better be because of that substance, not because of the fact that I'm a girl without any blatant physical abnormalities.

And yes, I realize the people who are calling me "pretty" probably have good intentions. I just really hate the word. That's why I never call someone that; I opt for a "gorgeous" or "beautiful". That way, my compliment encompasses their personality, too. Some people have an absolutely gorgeous personality, and it just shines through into their physical being. I just can't use the word "pretty" to describe someone's personality. It sounds so fluffy and fake to me.

I'm not a fake, nor are many other people I know. So, please, call us beautiful, or gorgeous, or wonderful. At least for me, it means so, so much more.