Your writing is so good. Reading it was so difficult. You did the thing that a great writer does. I was right there in your experience thinking of mine. The other thing is I'm sorry. I'm sorry for you and me and all of the girls and boys out there - we grow up with such awful stories about ourselves. Thank you for having the courage to share yours. And that smile in your photo seems to say you got it!
Oh, man...did I *feel* this one. Without going into detail the "I was a can of instant biscuits, busting out" was apt. And still is. And yet, I scrolled through the Gap website the other day in need of some new t-shirts and maybe a bathing suit (the horror!) and tiny, skinny women page after page showed me I probably wouldn't find what I was looking for there. But I showed them...I held my breath and chose a pair of jeans and then, having no idea where I would wear such a thing, I plopped a bright red one-piece bathing suit into my cart. And I didn't remove it before I pressed "Buy."
You did it you did it you did it! You are the bravest writer! Bravo a million times! I can’t wait to read it and to give away the seven extra copies that I bought for the women in my life. Love you to the moon and back. Congratulations!
I agree with the others. Great essay! So sad that we can all relate so well to it. I remember that ad and the pinch that appalled me. You put us all there again.
Absolutely fabulous. And I agree with Thea Sommer and Cindy Eastman: your writing is so good we can FEEL it, and feel for twelve-year-old you and the desperation and hopes that advertising uses so shamelessly. Brilliantly relatable. Brava.
This resonated with me! I was an early-puberty gal, with overflowing bra cups, always towering over my peers. I was put on my first diet at age 8, forever changing my body chemistry, causing lifelong struggles. I had a yellow leotard which I wore as a cheerleader in 3rd or 4th grade, which sounds so similar to your white one, both in my momentary self-perception and the public reception that didn’t match my internal story. I’ve lived my entire life as a zaftig Amazonian woman, despite years of trying to shrink. It’s crazy how hard it is to accept the body we are born with, even as that body wins races, pushes out children, creates amazing things. I did hear a doctor talking about a study where thigh size determines longevity better than any other predictor and today I’m feeling pretty chuffed at knowing I’ll outlive most of society. 😃😃
Spectacularly written -- so fucking vivid and heartbreaking with a side of edgy badassery lurking just beneath the surface. I am SO looking forward to reading the book and sharing it with the world (or, you know, the corners I inhabit). Wishing you all the success on the planet! xx
Oh my goodness I see myself in this so much. Thank you for sharing how being a fat young girl feels. I'm close to tears. That little girl still walks beside me.
Great writing! It's pathetic that the media continues to promote stick thin people in the 21st century that very few girls and boys can immolate.
My own sister suffered vile comments from our parents when she gained weight after a traumatic break-up with her hs sweetheart. Thinking back she weighed about 150 which is low by today's standards. Everyone deserves to celebrate themselves completely. Congrats on publishing your book with one of the top 5!
Your writing is so good. Reading it was so difficult. You did the thing that a great writer does. I was right there in your experience thinking of mine. The other thing is I'm sorry. I'm sorry for you and me and all of the girls and boys out there - we grow up with such awful stories about ourselves. Thank you for having the courage to share yours. And that smile in your photo seems to say you got it!
Oh, man...did I *feel* this one. Without going into detail the "I was a can of instant biscuits, busting out" was apt. And still is. And yet, I scrolled through the Gap website the other day in need of some new t-shirts and maybe a bathing suit (the horror!) and tiny, skinny women page after page showed me I probably wouldn't find what I was looking for there. But I showed them...I held my breath and chose a pair of jeans and then, having no idea where I would wear such a thing, I plopped a bright red one-piece bathing suit into my cart. And I didn't remove it before I pressed "Buy."
You did it you did it you did it! You are the bravest writer! Bravo a million times! I can’t wait to read it and to give away the seven extra copies that I bought for the women in my life. Love you to the moon and back. Congratulations!
I agree with the others. Great essay! So sad that we can all relate so well to it. I remember that ad and the pinch that appalled me. You put us all there again.
Absolutely fabulous. And I agree with Thea Sommer and Cindy Eastman: your writing is so good we can FEEL it, and feel for twelve-year-old you and the desperation and hopes that advertising uses so shamelessly. Brilliantly relatable. Brava.
This resonated with me! I was an early-puberty gal, with overflowing bra cups, always towering over my peers. I was put on my first diet at age 8, forever changing my body chemistry, causing lifelong struggles. I had a yellow leotard which I wore as a cheerleader in 3rd or 4th grade, which sounds so similar to your white one, both in my momentary self-perception and the public reception that didn’t match my internal story. I’ve lived my entire life as a zaftig Amazonian woman, despite years of trying to shrink. It’s crazy how hard it is to accept the body we are born with, even as that body wins races, pushes out children, creates amazing things. I did hear a doctor talking about a study where thigh size determines longevity better than any other predictor and today I’m feeling pretty chuffed at knowing I’ll outlive most of society. 😃😃
Spectacularly written -- so fucking vivid and heartbreaking with a side of edgy badassery lurking just beneath the surface. I am SO looking forward to reading the book and sharing it with the world (or, you know, the corners I inhabit). Wishing you all the success on the planet! xx
Oh my goodness I see myself in this so much. Thank you for sharing how being a fat young girl feels. I'm close to tears. That little girl still walks beside me.
Great writing! It's pathetic that the media continues to promote stick thin people in the 21st century that very few girls and boys can immolate.
My own sister suffered vile comments from our parents when she gained weight after a traumatic break-up with her hs sweetheart. Thinking back she weighed about 150 which is low by today's standards. Everyone deserves to celebrate themselves completely. Congrats on publishing your book with one of the top 5!