For years I've had a personal struggle with body image. I grew up with a grandfather who would spoil me with food. I was this chubby toddler with cheeks so big, you couldn't see my eyes when I smiled. My love for food carried onto my adolescence. Although I would never complain when it came to going out to grab a hearty burger, it did carry along a heavy consequence. I became clinically borderline obese when I entered middle school, and I thought nothing of it. I spent my afternoons hanging out in front of the TV watching Glee or some other television show that would catch my interest.
I thought nothing of it because I enjoyed myself when I indulged in food. I had no resources to change my sedentary lifestyle until I entered high school. Once I joined my high school's volleyball team, I saw a change in my health. With the daily workouts and my coach constantly urging us to maintain a good diet, I started noticing that I just felt better.
Learning to accept my body the way it is took a while, though. I learned to love it regardless of the number that was posted on the scale. As long as I felt great about myself, nothing else really mattered to me.
Women have been over-sexualized so much throughout the decades, that their bodies have become the sole representation of their worth as a human being. Curves have been looked down upon, and weight, whether it be too much, or too little, can can a serious dent in a woman's confidence.
Until this article showed up on my Facebook feed.
Tinder is notorious for anonymity. You don't really know who you're dealing with until you meet the match in person. When this woman shared her Tinder story, I was inspired by her response to that jerk of a man she ended up going on a date with.
The man said things such as "I would marry you like a shot if you were a slip of a girl because what you have in that mind of yours is utterly unique, and I really really love it." [That] really took me aback because it shouldn't matter what someone's body looks like.
Thank you, Michelle, for being strong and opening up about your experience. By reclaiming this narrative, you've empowered women everywhere. Besides, intelligent conversations are better than body-shaming conversations, anyway.
