When I was a student in high school, one of my classmates consistently won the popularity poll each semester- she had a string of beaux that was really quite impressive. She was always in the midst of all the activities, and no worthwhile campus function went by without her playing some important part in it. I think the thing that impressed me most was the fact that she seemed to be the perfect representative of our high-school life. She was pert and buoyant, she wore the accepted costume of sweaters and skirts, she had a line of chatter that was cute and she drove a convertible that was the delight of all her dates. As her fellow students, we had long ago decided that she had everything to insure a happy future. We all predicted that she would marry a handsome boy, settle down in a lovely home and take a leading role in the community's social and civic activities. Not one of us would have bet a dime on any other picture of her future. Yet, almost a half-dozen years later, she is a vivid proof of how wrong we were. I saw her the other day, still wearing her sweaters and skirts, still driving a junior-size convertible and still talking as if her next day's geometry lesson were the most serious problem she had in the world. It was really startling to me. Seeing her gave me the curious feeling that time had stopped, that she still was a high-school senior and that in short order we'd fall into a most serious discussion about the new, good-looking boy in our class. Suddenly, I felt sorry for her.
I think if you had this experience, you would have felt just as sorry for your friend. You would have realized that the parade had passed her by and that she was well on her way to becoming something of a personal juvenile. Time was zooming around her, and she seemed fearful that if she changed one thing, the rosy picture would disappear in one quick flash. She was still making her yesterday's her pattern for today.
Nature has her own way of taking us along on the daily course of living. It we move with it, we make the progress that is each individual's due. We make the transition from adolescent to young adult with the usual growing pains, and we're all the better for it. On the other hand, if we fight this plan, we simply become cruel caricatures of the image we hope to create in other's eyes.
The parade of living has many aspects, and the test of our achieving a successful maturity is proven by our consciousness of its many facets. Early in high school, I learned about this. I had decided that I wanted to be an actress, so I took all my dramatic training at professional schools off the campus. I soon found that there were plenty of people who were completely uninterested in the life and loves of a typical high-school student, and that as far as they were concerned, most school-going teenagers were still wet behind the ears.
It sent me back to the campus with great humility and a different picture of myself. I don't think I ever closed my eyes to it. As a result, I had a greater appreciation and respect for the people outside my little world. For instance, I realized that boys didn't particularly care about my clothes. They were much more interested in girls who were comfortable, enjoyable company. Although they may have made an issue about kissing a girl good night, this question was far from being the most important point about anyone they dated. If anything, they were all a bit suspicious of a girl who tried to achieve popularity by necking, who used sex as a come-on for dates. The boys might toy with the idea of taking her out, but if it looked as if they were going to be involved, they usually ran the other way.
Today young men will tell you frankly that it's old hat to pursue someone just because she happens to be a beauty. They want more than mere looks. They like a girl to be a regular jane, who can give and take in the fun and repartee on an equal basis, who has a few brains under her bonnet and who is conscious of her obligations to her future. Keeping up with the times is more than keeping up with the Joneses. More to the point is the fact that each girl should keep up with herself. She should be aware of the trends which affect her life and be sure to keep on an up-to-the-minute level with every other girl her age. Certainly it's no news to you that it's easier to outdate yourself than to be one jump ahead of today!
How can you tell if you're a candidate for the losing game, that if you don't get on the ball, you'll be among the also-rans? It's simple. Look in your mirror. Does your grooming coincide with the suggestions in the latest fashion magazine? Does the same yardstick apply to your costume? Does your figure look like a refuge from a 20-day diet, withich you've tried to conceal with clothes that may not be your style at all? is your make-up passe? At 24, are you trying to look 16, or at 16, are you trying to be a femme fatale, with mascara, eye shadow and sunken cheeks? Check your date list. How many time s week does your telephone jingle with invitations? When you are asked out does your escort take you to the places at which he'd be proud to appear with you, or does he suggest a movie, followed by a drive in the part for a necking session? Are you invited to take part in civic and charitable projects with them? In other words, are you a well-rounded personality who's fairly popular with all groups? If not, start taking honest stock of yourself.
If you're among the married set, I imagine you have your own barometer for measuring. I should think this would center around the contentment and interest shown by your husband. If he seems uninterested, then I believe it would be wise to start checking to see if you've been so busy in your own little world that the bigger world about you has practically been forgotten. Check your mind. This may sound curious to you, but it's amazing how often it's overlooked. Just because you happen to live in a small town and have told yourself nothing mentally stimulating goes on, that's no reason to let your own thinking processes go to pot. I know a famous author who lives in a community of 600 souls, and where would he be if had limited his thoughts to the limits of that village?
Are you a fun person, filled with enthusiasm and optimism, or are you one of those dour people who always has a bone to pick? Is it easier for you to sneer than to smile? Do you try to hide your insecurity with sarcasm which stem from a protective wall you've built around yourself? Are you forever opening your mouth when you should keep it shut? And finally, are you a girl who has no goal whatsoever and who thinks only vaguely in terms of picking up a husband one of theese days? Sincerely ask yourself these questions, and if you come up with a flock of wrong answers, it's obvious that you're letting the parade pass you by, and that it's time you did something about it. I don't want to sound like a Pollyanna, but popularity is much easier to achieve than you think. Once you've made up your mind and outlined a program for yourself, follow it daily. It won't be long before you see results.
Here's a practical example of what I mean. One of my best friends came from a fine Kansas City family, and she had every advantage of wealth. I wouldn't say she was spoiled, but I would say that she was probably one of the most impractical girls I ever knew. She couldn't cook or sew, and she knew nothing whatsoever about housekeeping. I don't suppose she thought she'd ever need these feminine attributes. About six months ago I had an invitation to there wedding, and although I couldn't visualize her as a married woman, I went. I found that the man she was marrying was in a moderate salary bracket, which meant that she would have to do all her own domestic chores. This struck me as a real dilemma for her to have to face, and I admired her courage for plunging in where angels feared to tread.
A few nights ago, she invited me to dinner at their apartment, and it turned out to be a most pleasant surprise. The apartment was done in wonderful taste, and she herself had made all the drapes and Dutch curtains. She had cooked a tasty dinner and served it with the finesse of a veteran maitre d'hotel. After dinner we had a pleasant conversation, and I was amazed at her knowledge of world affairs. The climax came when I learned that she had followed up a talent in writing and had sold her first magazine piece, which her husband proudly showed to me. You could see he was fascinated at having a beautiful wife who could write. I couldn't help my enthusiasm at what seemed to me a modern-day miracle. When I asked her how she did it, she had a ready reply for me. "Look Piper", she said. "I looked around and saw that what I was supposed to do was the same thing expected of every young housewife. So, I just learned it. I took courses and really burned the midnight oil. Then I took my courage in my hands and went to work. You see, I just decided that nothing was going to get ahead of me!" **

Two other quarter page b&w photos of PL- one with her using a hand held mirror to put on her lipstick, with the caption- 'A stickler for cleanliness and neatness, Piper admits that make-up is important to every girl- but the amount and types used should depend on age, current syles.' The other b&w photo shows her wearing an evening gown and stirring some food in a large metal pot on an small electric stove, with the caption- 'The man who marries Piper will not only have a very beautiful and talented wife, but a practical, thrifty one who knows how to keep that fashion-picture look.'