We are switching it up today! It rained all weekend and now its freezing out! It has made me ponder all of life's big issues. You know how it goes, rain on the window, dog being a jerk, mad that you made the clean eating commitment as you stare into your veggie chili with an empty soul. It all made me think about a (pretty great) post I read by the Militant Baker the other day addressing why some people hated the Tess Munster news. (If you havent heard, it was that Tess scored an AMAZING contract with a major modeling agency. First ever of her size...my size.)
There were quite a few people that (okay, a whole lotta people!) voiced their opinion on Tess being fat. It reminded me of all the times similar things had been said to or about me. Am I fat? Hell yes I am. Do I care if that makes you uncomfortable? Absolutely not. Tess and Jes are an amazing mouthpiece for women of every size and they preach body acceptance so the girl that thinks her knees are too knobby will learn to love them and the little fat girl getting bullied at school has someone to look at and see the future isn't bad at all. Its a controversial topic for some reason. Funny how that is. It is controversial to tell others its okay to love themselves.
As a girl that has always done things the hard way and made unpopular life decisions I'm no stranger to the leering eye. You know the one. Maybe its the little old lady at the grocery store that doesn't approve of your black boyfriend. Maybe the fat girl that you think hates you because you're thin. Or even that kid down the road that doesn't like your tattoos. Everyone has an opinion don't they? (Hypocritical as I offer mine? Maybe. #YOLO!!)
We know everyone has an opinion about something. Some address it head on and with a loud voice, those are the conversation starters. They play such an important roll in the paradigm shift, but there must also be a silent change. I teach by living my own life. I show by showing and I aim to give light by shining my own. Am I fat? Sure am. Do you hate fat people? Watch me challenge your opinion without saying a word. You see, the mouthpieces draw attention to a subject, in this case, my fat. So what do I do when I know you're watching? I live my life. You heard fat people could by happy and healthy despite their size now I'll show you that it is true without any hate or harm directed to you.
We have to stop expecting that people will not have unpopular opinions. They will always be there. Being a stubborn kid I learned that continually shouting things in someones face wont get you very far. Making a point known is half the battle. Setting a widespread example is the second half. So do I care what you think about my fatness? Still a no. You're welcome to voice your opinion about it but I will continue to love you in a way that shows I am more than my fat. I am more than my choice in shoes. I am more than the little girl that fell down the stairs in 6th grade. All of these things make up who I am and everyone has their own pieces and parts.
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