I'm Overweight and Proud: Standing Up For Myself

It was a hot summer day abouttwo years ago… I was putting away my groceries in asupermarket parking lot minding my own business, when all ofa sudden I hear the voice of a woman yell out, “Lose someweight!” At first I didn’t know for sure if I had heard herright… I couldn’t stop trying to analyze it in my head. Itwasn’t until my sister told me that she usually ignores “thosekinds of taunts” that I realized that I was the target. I was immediately overcome with rage… how could this person, whoknows nothing about me have the audacity to ridicule me inpublic? Without thinking I watched where she parked and beganto walk over. The only things running through my mind were the obscenities I wanted to call her. I wanted to makesure that before she opened her mouth again like this… she wouldthink long and hard… this “big girl” was ready to give this bullythe opportunity to feel the full force of her 200-some odd lbs, hiswoman was about to get a lesson she’d never forget!When I finally got over to her I had began to cool off, but Istill wanted to make my point. When she saw that I had comeover she looked TERRIFIED! She was driving with a man and ayoung boy (who was slightly obese). The man she was withlooked happy to see me, and immediately scolded her, “I told you”he said. I started to think about how many times she musthave done things like this, she must have had a lot of confidencethat I wouldn’t retaliate, or defend myself… how many times had shegot away with this, how long has this gone on before somestood up for themselves? One thing for sure was, I was goingto stop it here… TODAY!I asked her why she would taunt me like she did without knowingme, and all she could do was look away and fold her arms and sayover and over “I’m sorry." I felt like a teacher, havinga “you need to be nice to others” talk with a grown woman… I knew Ihad to do something more, but what could I do? By that time asmall crowd had surrounded us, and I felt that there wasn’t any wayI could be happy about where this had gone without making sure sheunderstood that what she did should never happen again… so I gotmad. I got belligerent and I got in her face. I’membarrassed to tell you this, but I completely got down to herlevel… screaming obscenities got the reaction I wanted, but itwasn’t until I looked over and saw the same look of fear on theyoung boy’s face that I cam back to my senses… I had made my point,literally loud and clear. The boy was my reminder that I never needed to go there, Iwasn’t there to hurt anyone… I was there to make a point that whatthis woman did was wrong. I made that point by just walkingover to her and showing her that I was not afraid of her. Ihad made my point before I got mean… I turned in to the same personand I know that’s not who I really am, so I stopped and tried toget it together for the sake of this child. I know this wasalso a lesson for him, and I needed to make sure it endedpositively. I stopped, regained my composure and calmly told her that shebetter think twice before she ever does anything like this again,because it’s NOT okay. I apologized for losingmy temper, and thanked her for opening my eyes aswell. We both learned a lesson in tolerance that day. Ilearned ignorace isn’t always bliss, but leading by example asopposed anger is the best stradegy for success. I’m proving tothe world that us ”Plus Size Divas” have heart, we arebeautiful and a positive attitude will ALWAYS prevail… classdismissed. :)Written by Sophia Gettys for Hybrid Mom.