The Body

The body is a contentious place for most people to be. In addition none of us can get free of our body whether we like our body or not. I always have my ears and eyes open and what I am witnessing is obscene. An increasing amount of people who are obsessing in unnatural ways about their body. As a result of the obsession the very same people are finding very unhealthy and psychologically damaging ways to deal with the body. I have a very dear friend who struggles with embracing herself and giving herself a break. I love her so much, even my first impression of her was "wow she is beautiful and amazing". However, that is my impression of her, not her impression of her. I have watched her through highs and lows of her trying to find a way to be comfortable with herself and her comfort level has always been centred on her body. She isn't alone in her comfort level. I increasingly meet more and more people who aren't comfortable with themselves unless their body is in good shape. I found it shocking that even people who are physically fit also based their wealth of personhood on their body.
Okay so perhaps it may appear to some who read this that I am harping on getting fit on being an ideal weight. I am not, I do believe it is important to be healthy, to remove the body physically from any health detriments. However, what is happening mentally? Studies show that mental well-being has as much of an impact on the overall health of a person as much as fat on the hips and chest does. How did these wonderful people get so far away from finding delight in the ability to create, to feel, to comfort, to socialize, to think, etc? How did they get so far from that and place the emphasis of self worth on the body?
The body is a hated entity. Very few people can acknowledge they love their body and even fewer can say that they have other qualities that are just as important to them (if not more) than the body.
What sparks my rant is I ran into someone who hadn't seen me for awhile and she said I looked good. She kept looking at my hips. Which I took to mean I have lost weight. This is likely because I walk to school everyday and now I am biking on Sundays. So in the five months she hasn't seen me I more than likely did lose weight. Although, I found myself afterwards mulling over what she said, because it didn't sit right with me. I was wearing nice clothes, I had make-up on, my hair in good shape and I had a beaming smile on. Also I went so far to enquire about her and say 'hi'. She knows I am school, she knows I am working somewhere else, she knows I am a writer. However, my weight loss is what makes me good? That is worth praise? It will be the central part of our discussion is my weight loss. BAH! How wretched!
I vow here and now I will not measure my life by the pounds I have or not have on my body. I will measure my life in my ability to make macaroni art, my ability to cook a meal, my ability to listen to a friend when he/she is upset or happy, my ability to write, my ability to walk into a room and smile brightly regardless of how shitty I feel!!