It’s My Body, The Shame Is On You!
I always thought that fat-shaming, cat-calling and body-shaming were dearest traits of a healthy friendship. I believed that being called ‘chubby’ was the genuine love of our relatives and family members.
It was only when I came across books and literature that I realised I have been body-shamed all my life. But what I never knew, couldn’t have hurt me, right? Wrong.
Deep down I always knew that I was on the fatter side of the weighing scale. I was not fat, conventionally. I was a swimmer since before I could walk, and that had made my shoulders grow broader than usual and my arm and thigh muscles bulk up a bit.
My friends and family showed their love by telling me how chubby I was, or calling me ‘moti’, thanks to all their well-adjusted caregiving techniques.It created complexes in me that I did not even realise I had, until much later in life when I began to work towards attaining self-awareness.
In my passive-aggressive response to the underlying complexes, I shamed other women who were fatter or had broader hips or shoulders. I laughed at women who had broad bodies or accumulated fat around their bellies.
I think I hit the rock bottom of my character, and the zenith of retaliatory behaviour, when I drew tears on the scooter of my headmistress with a permanent marker (simply because she was ‘fat’ and I thought I was smart and witty).
The wonderful lady that she was, she laughed it off. The reason for her overweight was Thyroid, which I learnt later in life.
It still shames me to think of what I did. Irrespective of her reasons, it was her body and I had absolutely no right to judge or make fun of, just like others had no such rights on my body.
Body-shaming has been a part of our lives, as women, ever since we step foot in this world as tiny individuals.
There are creams selling white skins and whiter-underarms, apparently. They even make creams for fairer vaginas, whatever that is. Along with their figures, women must also worry about their nose, their jawlines, their underarm and elbow complexion and literally groom every inch of their body as per the conventional norms of ‘beauty’.
Furthermore, stores like Forever New, Forever21, etc. carry clothes that are made keeping pixies in mind. Their medium sizes will not fit an average below-medium waistline. Yet the stores flourish while the young women perish with anorexia or bulimia.
I have curves to die for, and I love them to bits! I will not be body-shamed, for her body is her temple. And this is my two-bits of advice to you- WORSHIP YOUR BODY.
