What pushed me over the edge today

[ailbhe]

At the swimming pool, an acquaintance looked at me in my swimsuit and commented to the woman she was with, "Look at that - don't you just hate her? I'd love to be that thin."

I failed the politeness test. I said "It's easy, just get so sick you can't cope with your daily life. A serious virus. Lots of people find cancer works. YOU try being ill, I'll try being overweight." Then I went into the cubicle with my children and cried.

My eldest daughter asked if I get smaller will I still be able to lift them? Will I shrink to the size of a baby?

My youngest daughter said "No Mama cy, Mama, aw-ite Mama."

I apologised to them for crying. And I stayed locked in the cubicle until the women went away.

Comments

[nicnacpaddywac.livejournal.com]

Oh sweetie, i'm sorry someone was horrible enough to upset you in this way. (And i say this as an obese woman who is utterly horrified that people seem to think that comments like this are acceptable, whereas no-one would think the reverse was IYSWIM. My mother who is now rather thin is constantly berated for losing weight, and that's thought to be acceptable too, yet she doesn't turn around and tell someone they're looking too fat).

Anyway, like others have said, those women were the rude ones, you said nothing impolite at all IMO.

[ailbhe]

Oh, I know fat women get "I wish I had boobs like that" and so on, as well as "fatty" and other insulting insults, IYSWIM. It's not really true that anti-thin is ok while anti-fat isn't, except in certain social circles.

Like, it appears, mine.

[nicnacpaddywac.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I really am tired! I seem to have written a longwinded reply that made very little sense. What i was trying to say is that i really don't know why some people think it is acceptable to comment on other peoples bodies at all, regardless of shape or size.

(I hope i've not upset you further by my bumbling post).

[ailbhe]

No, you didn't. I just wanted to make *clear* that I don't think anti-thin prejudice is "the last acceptable prejudice" any more than, well, anything else is.

I think it's worth being explicit, sometimes.

[nicnacpaddywac.livejournal.com]

That's okay, i was just a bit worried as i know i'm not great with words, and i didn't want you thinking that i thought prejudice like this was acceptable in any way.