Food for Thought

If you saw someone on the street who was slightly obese, would you remark to them, "Wow! You're so fat!"?

Didn't think so.

So then why does that make it acceptable for someone to comment on a thin person's weight (or lack there of)?

I am thin. I am aware of this. I have been thin my entire life, thanks to a high metabolism and a life style that includes too many sports to list. I don't need constant reminders of my weight. Hard to digest (pun intended), but it is easy to be thin and be self-conscious about your weight.

While I like my body, there are days when comments like "man, eat a sandwich, will ya?" and "Shelly's so skinny, she'd probably just blow away if the wind was stronger" really get to me. Especially these days, when my weight has been fluctuating due to stress.

I hate how being skinny automatically equates to the idea that we don't eat enough. I wish some people would simply take that extra second to think before speaking.

Sometimes I like to go to a public place--be it a mall, a park, or a movie theater-- just to watch people. People are fascinating. Their mannerisms and personalities, for starters. And the way they hide their true selves from passersby... they saunter through with a fake smile, all the while dwelling on the death of a loved one, or the knowledge that they have made a mistake of some kind.

We are all hiding something. Hiding our insecurities from the world. Hiding deep secrets and other skeletons. Hiding our true thoughts and feelings.

Hiding what makes us human.

We are all hiding, and whether we admit to it or not determines your level of self-awareness. So, be kind. Every person is fighting some sort of battle that you know nothing about.