I have mentioned before that I am not now at my heaviest. I don’t even know what I weighed at that time. I only know that though I had always been something like a size 12, I was more like an 18, slipping into a 20. If I felt like going to all the trouble of scanning a picture, I would show you what that looked like on me. But, I don’t, so I won’t. 
Something that I remember from those bigger days was that I was overall plump. I carried my extra weight in democratic proportion. Thusly, there were no “problem areas”. Now that I am no longer a size 18, but also no longer the size 6 I became, I cannot say the same. Now I can clearly see which parts of my body are hording fat and which are so very eager to see it go. My genes are showing. It is a curse upon me.
If my mom could see me now, she would categorize me as one of those dreaded women with thunder thighs, something she prized herself for having avoided. (When we would watch beauty pageants growing up, she would give a running commentary on who had those thunder thighs, and who should therefore be summarily disqualified. I was trained in the finer points of thunder-thighedness and know whereof I speak.)
Not only that, but I also inherited the annoying fat-stash of the upper arms and, get this, the knees. Yes, I have fat knees. Even when I was a slimmer me, I had some pudge pooled up around my knees, but now I have a good handful on each. sigh
I am trying to make peace with these hindrances to beauty and slimness. I know that it is useless to fight the genetic code. I know this because my lean and taut ancestors kept their knees from public view and encased those flappy arms in cloth. Mini-skirts and spaghetti straps were not shunned due to modesty, but because they loved others too much to subject them to such unpleasantness. They thought of others before themselves.
That part of my family legacy I embrace. Some things should only be seen by those who look with the eyes of love. But I cannot keep the secret any longer. Shame breeds in darkness. And so I say, let there be light: We have fat arms and knees.
I hope my family will forgive me.
Am I supposed to be laughing? Cuz I am!! Cool post, Laura. Thank you!!!
Comment by blestwithsons — October 26, 2006 @ 9:15 am
Blest–it was a hope that it would be found funny. I was not so confident at to categorize it under Funnies though… just in case it flopped.
Comment by lady laura — October 26, 2006 @ 10:01 am
Made me smile too
Comment by Debs — October 26, 2006 @ 2:22 pm