Thanks Trish, I hadn't heard of "Slow Horses." I really do recommend Wellness-- it was a slow start for me too, but got really really good about 1/3 of the way through. I also listened to it on Audible instead of reading it, and that might have added some needed drama.
I just read this entry, and it really struck a chord with me. I can tell you that positive portrayals of people with different body types would have made a huge difference in my life when I was younger. As a teenager in the 1970s, that was non-existent. I was maybe all of 130 lbs. in high school, and felt like I was the biggest 'thing' to ever crawl the face of the earth - and I carried way too much of it where it was extremely noticeable, wearing D cups by 9th grade. When Seventeen magazine constantly featured girls with boyish, thin figures, I felt like a freak. (Being noticed by older men because of that development made me eat more to defend myself behind a wall of weight, but that's a whole 'nother topic!) I kept my head down and tried hard to not be noticed, instead of going for what I wanted - meaning that I missed a whole lot of opportunities which would not come again when I was older. Probably the first time I saw a positive portrayal of someone heavier was when I took my then 11 year old daughter to see "Hairspray" on Broadway, probably around 2007. I came out of the theater fighting back tears, wishing desperately I could have seen it when I was young. It sounds like hyperbole, but something like that could have changed the course of my life.
I completely believe it could've changed your life to see someone who represented you-- there's nothing more inspiring than that. This movement toward body equality is a long time coming and definitely hasn't fully arrived yet-- but I think we're getting there. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that.
“Slow Horses” on Apple, well written, and I didn’t finish Wellness, might take another look.
Thanks Trish, I hadn't heard of "Slow Horses." I really do recommend Wellness-- it was a slow start for me too, but got really really good about 1/3 of the way through. I also listened to it on Audible instead of reading it, and that might have added some needed drama.
I just read this entry, and it really struck a chord with me. I can tell you that positive portrayals of people with different body types would have made a huge difference in my life when I was younger. As a teenager in the 1970s, that was non-existent. I was maybe all of 130 lbs. in high school, and felt like I was the biggest 'thing' to ever crawl the face of the earth - and I carried way too much of it where it was extremely noticeable, wearing D cups by 9th grade. When Seventeen magazine constantly featured girls with boyish, thin figures, I felt like a freak. (Being noticed by older men because of that development made me eat more to defend myself behind a wall of weight, but that's a whole 'nother topic!) I kept my head down and tried hard to not be noticed, instead of going for what I wanted - meaning that I missed a whole lot of opportunities which would not come again when I was older. Probably the first time I saw a positive portrayal of someone heavier was when I took my then 11 year old daughter to see "Hairspray" on Broadway, probably around 2007. I came out of the theater fighting back tears, wishing desperately I could have seen it when I was young. It sounds like hyperbole, but something like that could have changed the course of my life.
I completely believe it could've changed your life to see someone who represented you-- there's nothing more inspiring than that. This movement toward body equality is a long time coming and definitely hasn't fully arrived yet-- but I think we're getting there. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that.