Growing up, I never realized how much bigger I was than the rest of the kids — and when I say bigger, I don’t mean drastically bigger, but I definitely had a couple pounds on everyone else. To add on that, I was also towering a foot over everyone in my grade and the next two grades above me. Nobody ever pointed it out to me until sixth grade came around: I was getting poked fun at, I had lost all of my friends and I sat alone at lunch everyday. It was rough, to say the least, but I got through it. Seventh grade came around, then eighth, and it was still bad, but I had a solid group of friends to keep me grounded. When the time came around for me to go to high school I was terrified; I was headed to a new school and I had no idea what to expect. I was scared that ninth grade would just be a repeat of what had happened in sixth grade. But I headed into school with my head held high, ready to face whatever this new school was going to throw at me. It turned out that nobody cared what I looked like, what I wore, or how I acted; everyone was too caught up in trying to figure themselves out and they didn't have time to worry about the fact that I was fat.
“Fat” is not a bad word, it is not a curse word, it’s not a dirty word and it is not a bad thing. “Fat” is a descriptive word, just like tall or short, gross or lovely, purple or pink, kind or mean. Nobody goes up to someone who has just called themselves tall and says that they are not because being tall is not a bad thing, and neither is being fat. Being fat does not mean you are ugly or that you are any less of a person than the skinny person sitting next to you. A lot of people in my lifetime have tried to use the word “fat” to attack me and hurt my feelings, I admit that in the sixth grade it really cut deep, but now I just nod and tell them they’re right. I am fat, I know this, you don’t have to tell me, I own a mirror.
A lot of people talk about how today’s society is obsessed with body image and are in love with a certain type of body, and although in some aspects that might true, I really believe that as a society we are growing everyday and a lot more people are getting more comfortable with themselves day after day. I love being able to get on social medias and see people being happy with themselves, no matter what they look like. Personally, I’m very excited to see where this society will go in the next decade because I think there is a lot in store for us.
For years, I have struggled with body image and hated how I looked. I would wake up, look in the mirror and my entire day would be ruined, just like that. It took a lot in me to not only accept myself and what I look like, but to fall in love with me. I will never be stick-thin, it's a fact. I could work out everyday for the rest of my life but I will never be stick-thin, it's just how my body is made, and I'm am absolutely okay with that. I love myself for who I am, not what I look like. Today, I can look in the mirror and I am happy with myself and where I am at and where I am going. I admit that I have bad days, just like anyone else, but the majority of my days are great. For anyone reading this, I hope you get to the same spot I have reached, and I hope it comes soon.
