Theresa has memories of me and Kat sat around her kitchen table lamenting at the age of 11 that the boob fairy had yet to arrive and probably never would.
By the next summer we were once again sat around the kitchen table, this time whinging that we had boobs at all they are just ‘so damn uncomfortable’.
It would seem you can’t please people either way. Everything is too big or too small, too long or too short. In a society that prizes sleek silhouettes and tiny figures, it seems the smallest amount of excess body fat, can turn many a woman to tears.
I have always been a curvy woman; a love of food has done nothing to sate that fact. It just grates on me that people will judge me by the way I look. Just the other week I nearly decked some guy on the train who was sniggering at me talking to his girlfriend in a loud voice saying ‘That girl’s ass is as big as your bag!’ (the girl was carrying one of those enormous ‘you could practically live in it’ handbags) and it hurt you know.
At secondary school Kat was like a boa constrictor getting in and out of her PE kit without showing any skin in fear of bearing the wrath of ‘The Plastics’. The plastics being our own endearment for the girls who were stick thin, with 6 inches of foundation and always the first to start the criticisms ranging from witticism’s such as
‘who’d you steal your bra off? Your grandma?’ to just loathsome comments such as
‘Aww look at the fat cows in the corner their never going to get boyfriends’.
I think after a few years I just got fed up of it and learnt a new trick. Kat used to call me Flash Gordon as I could be in and out of the changing rooms in about 3 minutes.
The new trick? Just an attitude adjustment. Something along the lines of hang it you hags I don’t care what you see or what you say.
I guess in a way I owe them a thank you, for teaching me that it does nothing to be ashamed of your body, In fact it just weighs you down. I'm not saying I’m perfect far from it, I often have moments thinking what the hell do I look like. Wishing I could change things about the way I look.
But then I remember, women are real, what we see in the papers and films is not what real women look like. Most of the women on the billboards of London look like they need a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea, there’s nothing too them! Now that’s nothing against woman who are naturally built like that (Here’s looking at you Poppy), but most women are just not built like that and it was only about 6 months ago I think when I really realised I wasn't alone.
Whilst googling stuff about body image on the web I came across this most amazing website by an American photographer who goes by the name of Substantia Jones. Her project Adipositivity is all about being positive about being larger (the name coming from the words Adipose meaning of or relating to fat, and positivity). Her photo's of nude larger women made me re-evaluate the way I looked at myself and realised that being larger was absolutely nothing to be ashamed about.
Women have imperfections, women wobble! I know I sure do! And I am proud to say as such! Sure I'm no stick insect, heck I love my food too much to ever maintain being that skinny! But I’m proud of the body God gave me. Sure some people will always sneer, not liking what they see. But surely that shouldn't be my problem.
Some people will turn around at this blog piece and go that’s disgusting, they aren’t looking after themselves, and neither are you! I'm not here advocating obesity the point I’m trying to get across is that we should be proud of our bodies whatever our size or shape.
I come from a family of short curvy women, and chances are that means any daughters I have will most likely inherit those traits. If there’s one gift I could give them those future daughters of mine it would be the power to feel good about themselves.
I mean God doesn’t honestly care how big your ass is or what your hair looks like when you first get out of bed, he made it! He knows it all anyway and he still loves you!
So why are you hating on yourself?….just think about it
For those who want the web address for the website I mentioned it’s http://www.adipositivity.com/
I just find it very encouraging and beautiful, wonderful photography and wonderful women! Fair warning though some of the photo's can be a little racy, but then it is nude photography!
Hey, im not a woman (obviously), but im a big guy and have struggled to lose weight (im still 24 stone, tho i like to think that at least some of it is muscle!). I used to be bullied at school, tho most stayed away from me at college when i started walking all bruised and cut up (long story). I hated it, and i ate even more for comfort, and i still get nasty comments about my size. Its only recently that iv started getting into a routine of working out with dumbells in the bedroom, and only eating grapes on my breaks at work, as well as salads and such at home! Oh, and by the way, we've been friends on facebook for a while now! John Charles Scott, remember?
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