Here goes, the 60th entry. I'm again sorry I haven't written in a while but my massage therapist says I must stay away from the computer as much as possible to be healthier for my back and shoulders and so I've been trying to get away from the computer as instructed other than for work.
The other day I took a walk outside and just yesterday I spent time with my parents and nephew out in the park near my apartment playing ball and running around. It was tiring but it was fun and well worth the pain today. My parents are seeing results in my weight loss too where normally I'd be very puffed out I'm now showing my curves once again and some hips which is what I want. Not to say that's for everyone but I need to lose it because it's affecting my breathing, my back, even my blood pressure and sugar levels. I am beginning to feel better though. I've changed things in my diet even to be healthier and when I want chips or sweets I tend to go towards fruit, banana chips, nuts, veggies. Now mind you a bit of onion dip for veggies doesn't hurt on occasion either :).
Moving onward I'd like to address some topics this week about body shaming. Again I know but I've found other reports and most notably I'd like to mention comments that were ultimately made my my facebook friends recently that I really felt offended by. It's not every day that I feel offended by something someone says but when someone assumes something without even reading the article then I have to question your comments and judgement. Body shaming, bullying, it comes in all forms. We assume things about people without getting to know them and understanding.
I'm going to start with this article about 10 things We do Without Realizing It. All 10 things are so very valid and things that, yes, even I have been suckered into doing, to both others and myself without thinking. The one that gets me most upset is the one about looking pregnant. There have been people who've commented on my weight and particularly one ex- boyfriend, who would come to visit me, pat me on my belly and ask if I was sure I wasn't "preggo" because I had gained a bit. That was 5-6 years ago when I actually hadn't gained that much and was still a mere 120 lbs versus the 184 I am now with no belly to show for it and I was doing working out, walking and belly dance workouts. It still bothers me to this day that someone could say that to me when I was thin, and that I could be seen more so now. It's insulting and humiliating.
I will also admit to judging people's clothes but not because of "fat" or "thin" but more so what is appropriate for a certain situation or function. I mean if it's at the beach and you're wearing a bikini, all the power to ya, do what you want. But if you're wearing one downtown in the middle of the street or to go grocery shopping? I'd have to say there are appropriate attire for certain things. It's like wearing a bikini in winter, or a snow jacket in summer? or Wearing a flowery strapless dress to a funeral here in Canada, where in some places that might be the norm it wouldn't be here, where something like that here would be more worn to a wedding? I'm sure you get my idea.
Now the comment in this article too about us women being baby making machines, well it used to be the norm to think that way. The bigger the hips, the heavier you were meant you were well off and had a good dowry which meant you were good for babies and to be married off to a good husband. We were thought of as property and admittedly we still are. This has not changed much except that now to be successful you have to have hips, curves yes, but you have to be filled out and flat bellied and work out with a ton of make up to be successful. Even in the office we are seen as property or we still have certain "gender roles" like secretary and such that we are not seen as in power of any kind or it is still somewhat frowned upon when we do make it to the top. We are still expected to be moms, and do this and that and be sexual or dress a certain way as "ladies". I remember my mother putting it in my head that a lady never sat with her legs a certain way, it was always cross your legs or cross at the ankles especially when wearing dresses and never let a guy look "down there" or else it would give them "ideas". As if I didn't have ideas! This concept about women provoking men and that's why men rape and it leads to sin and such? Seriously!? It's a two way street and there are guys doing that to guys and girls doing it to girls and it doesn't matter what gender you are at all or even your sexual orientation or how you dress, it happens and it's wrong. Your body is your own. No one else's.
Moving along to the article my "friend" commented on and clearly stated that it was disgusting and that it was a reason for young people to have obesity complexes and asked me to take it down. She also stated it was disgusting and that it was an image of a child. I refused to take it down. Why, because it's an article not only on art but self love of all kinds of bodies, young and old and shapes and sizes based on traditional baroque art using photography. Not to mention that if it were in fact of a child, there would have been parental consent and it was not actually of a child at all but a young gentleman of age. Otherwise the post probably would have been flagged by now for child pornography of some sort and nudity. Here is the Photo Series on the Ideal Body that I posted a collective group and blog called The Body is Not an Apology. I agree with the article. We don't see nudes that often of these kind of people and it was refreshing and inspiring making me wish I was back in art class drawing the nude models we had who were normal every day people. They weren't airbrushed models and "perfect" in the eyes of society. I liked that. I hated when we had a male model who was insulted for doing his job because my classmates were immature enough to say that if you're doing modeling like this you must be gay. Well no that's not true and in fact he was very handsome and actually very straight. He almost quit that day when he heard that because he felt my classmates were immature and he didn't want to pose for such group. I don't blame him.
I actually think that I may, I repeat may, do a photo series/drawing series myself. I wish I had and could find this one art piece I did in class. It was of a section of the body, we had to chose a section and draw it using contours and a medium of our choice. I chose near the belly actually and it turned out wonderfully with all the curves, shapes highlights and shadows using watercolour. Art is yet another form of media and if you know your history had a huge affect on social norms up til, well now. Everything from sculptures, paintings, fashion, music, it was all part of life but perhaps seemingly in a more indirect way as most of it was upper class at first and then those that were in power again influenced the masses. Now it's right at our doorstep and on every street corner and in our homes directly with mass media coverage coming through the radios, the "tube" and the internet, the highway of information. I really do wonder what would actually happen if that information source were cut off completely. Certainly something to ponder, and if you ever watch a show like "Revolution" you'd start to wonder too.
The last thing I'd like to end with is this wonderful blog or article about one father's "Break-up with Rap Music" and the influence of the media. I love the way he put it and so often that not we forget that it's not just rap though that has an influence. It's all kinds of music that has sexualized either gender. Rap music though has been the most known for swearing or alternate language that it seems to have a bad reputation for it. But it's not the only kind. Words are power. Words and image, because words create imagery. So when we think about the mental state of ourselves or our children we have to be careful what we put into our heads, what we listen to, what we read. What are our morals? It's something that in this generation we are creating mindless robots. We are creating little ones to not think on their own. Very saddening if you ask me where we are oppressing opinions or those that have formulated the ability to be unique are being bullied and told no and must reform even as little ones in kindergarten by adults not even just their peers. I think back to movies and shows like Serenity. We can not remove that which is a part of our nature such as aggression or love. We have to have a balance of both to be human and there is always a right and wrong. Doesn't matter what religion, sexual orientation, gender or race you are, we all agree on the basics of things of right and wrong in our guts, the feeling of it.
I ask everyone to be kind to each other and one's selves. More to come, most likely next month. Until then again thanks for reading!
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