Body Talk Two

So this is not my first entry on body image. It is a subject I have touched before on this blog but it seems I have more thoughts on the subject, so here it goes!

Honestly we are a culture of body shaming. The media is a toxic playground of hypercritical jack faces voices their opinions on how bodies should look, and how if they don’t look like that then we should be ashamed. The ad agencies spend oodles and oodles of cash in order to make consumers feel like there is something wrong with them. This is in hopes that the consumers will turn around and spend oodles and oodles of their hard earned cash whatever the latest product is that is suppose to fix the newest contrived problem. None of this is new information.

And yes, I have had my fair share of low moments. There have been times in my life where I was very ashamed of my body because it did not seem to fit into the social norm. I become very disconnected from my body. It was to be tolerated, suffered or hated, but my body was not something designed to be loved.  Those were very dark days that (like many hard life experiences) shaped who I am.  That is not who I am anymore.

Recently I have been the target of people who think it is perfectly acceptable to comment on my body.  They believe it is okay to share their advice on how they believe I should look or exist in the world. To make snap judgments on my lifestyle which most often they know nothing about (would they be surprised to know that I haven't eaten a cheese burger in over five years, I wonder.). Now this does not make me angry with them, nor does it make me sad about or ashamed of myself. What it does make me is angry and sad that we still like in a world where it is conducive even encouraged making judgments on other peoples physical appearance.

My body, how it looks, how I dress it, what I choose to do with it, is no ones business but my own. And neither is yours. It is time we reclaim out bodies and stop buying in to the lie that you have to look a certain way to be beautiful. For the record, you cannot look at my body and know the status of my health no more than I can you. And even if you could it is not your job to make comments on my health. If you do not have a medical license and are not testing my blood, I don’t want your opinion.  Really if it’s out of concern do you think making someone feel insignificant will help? How does making someone feel ashamed, or feeling like they should hate themselves really motivate positive change. When someone feels as if they are loathed by society they are often going to begin to self hate, and when that happens why would they do anything that would help to support or take care of themselves, it would be counterintuitive.

Also the idea that there is only one kind of beautiful is absurd. Granted we all find certain things attractive, but we should realize that what we like is just that, personal preference.  Everyone is going to be beautiful to someone, and more importantly everyone should be beautiful to themselves.

In the face of all of this I choose to celebrate the beauty that is my body. To revel in the gloriousness that is me. I will dance with my body, embrace with my body, and fully live in my body because I know it is mine and I will honor it.

What you do with your body is entirely up to you.