Pity Smiles

Another blog that I read got me thinking. She said that she was concerned about what other people would think about the chunky girl at the gym. I've had that concern a jillion times. I remember being in PE and trying to give a sweet grin to the chunky girl with the bright red face and the bra that wasn't doing it's job. I was skinny then, but this in no way made me happy. I was a size 5-7 and was convinced that I had an unusually large ass. My grandmother taught me to suck in my stomach and my mom once told me that I was built like a gymnast. A few years later I signed up for a kickboxing class (one of my many all or nothing weight loss solutions) and I remember seeing myself in the mirror and realizing I was now that chunky girl with the red face. And my bra was absolutely not doing what I had paid it to do. I couldn't keep up, I had no coordination and some skinny bitch gave me a sweet smile. I thought that she pitied me.

As women we are catty. We look other girls up and down. What they are wearing, saying, dating and so on. It's in our DNA to be jealous and wary of eachother. Confidence is the equivalent of acne and self-criticism is like a new pair of Guess Jeans in the 80's. As many times as I've caught myself staring at another woman it's more that I'm measuring myself up to them. And I think we all do this more than just talk shit. Oh... I'd love to have those boobs, or that hair or that skin. I'd love to be able to pull off that outfit or those acrylic nails (I think I pick my nose too much for those). The one thing that unites us? The one thing that could bring us all together and hold hands and sing "I'd like to teach the world to live in perfect harmony" while swinging our arms? Our struggle to be beautiful and thin. It may be a trivial fight, one that has been created by the media and men that have too high of expectations... but at the end of the day, we all just want to feel good naked and be able to run up a flight of stairs without getting winded.

I honestly see women now and say "good for you" In my pilates class there is a woman there with a daughter my age and she is larger than me. Lord if she doesn't whoop my ass in some of those moves. And I tell her afterwards! That was awesome that you were able to hold that pose! AND some of the poses I can do and she can't do... and some of the SB's can't do (skinny bitches). And I've realized something. Because they're skinny does not mean that they are more healthy than me. I used to have a gym buddy that was a size two. She smoked like a chimney and could barely keep up with me. She was constantly sick. We all have our crutches, some just wear theirs on their belly rolls!

SO, to all you chunky girls and skinny bitches alike... when you step into the gym or go jalking down the street and I give you that 'sweet smile'. That isn't pity, that's GOOD FOR YOU! And... sometimes, what in the hell are you wearing?