I have spent a lot amount of time writing this blog entry. Contemplating my life, upbringing, and the society around me. Why does our society ridicule overweight people? Why does our society revere those with defined bodies?
Experts lecture us about "being healthy". Diet commercials reassure us we can get even tinier. Why loose the extra 5 lbs.?
This pressure we all feel is petty. Meaningless. There are more important things to worry about than tweaking our bodies. Isn't there?
We living in a society with a diverse collection of people. Many celebrate it. So how do we act towards those that are different? Towards those that put a higher priority on other things? I'm sure you will agree that respect is often lacking. How does our society act towards obese people? How do you act towards those who are obese? Through contemplation, and the help of my boyfriend Steve, I realized how I acted towards those who are chronically obese. How I acted was commonplace. I treated them kind, but superficially. I saw them as less than ourselves.
What caused them to be obese? Given the pressures of society, it certainly wasn't by choice. The actual cause of this condition, while unique for each person, is irrelavent. I long for the day, when everyone will realize what I have. The day where everyone will look beyond initial appearances. The day when the judgement of character will depend on actions, not on waist line or dress size.
As a final note, this change in me makes me glad that I am not a static being. That I allow myself to expand my perspectives and attitude. This is why it is important to change, to grow. As humans we must experience life. We must allow ourselves to spread our branches as our roots continue to dig deeper into the soil, grounding us in who we are.
1 comment:
One of all the things I like about you, is that you're not afraid of being wrong and you're not afraid to change. Many people are. They defend their words and actions, even if they know they're wrong. They deny their mistakes instead of learning from them. They're the ones who never change, the ones who never grow as persons. I'm glad to know you're better than that, and it makes me proud to call you my friend.
/Martin
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