I took a photo of a dear, fellow actress/film enthusiast on set, because she was part of the experience and I wanted to remember experiencing it with her and the other participants. She scolded me and stated, "Why does everyone take fat pictures of me?" She then explained why she had gained so much weight and kind of apologized for being fat.
Indeed, she had gained a lot. However, to care about her as a human being does not require her or anyone else to measure up to my or others’ expectations of “bed-able” beauty, optimal health, or the end-all of human value.
Weighing more than an ideal weight for current culture, and overall well-being, has many relative consequences and complex causes, with choice being one of them. But "fatness" is simply a more visible manifestation among many other potentially harmful, less-visible human proclivities, and behind which a lot of us hide in our hypocrisy as we ridicule or shun the obese.
This is not to suggest that we must pretend we don't see it, nor disengage from encouraging wise choices to those who can do otherwise. It is what it is, nothing more nothing less. Just realize that sometimes, the more humble souls of earth will see the other beautiful things about you, and despite your deemed imperfections, will choose and want to take a picture of you for having experienced your beauty without giving any pause due to your imperfections.
It's not that obesity is beautiful per se. It is just that, like the rest of us who strive for perfection despite our less visible flaws, you can be both fat and beautiful. If you want, and are able to make changes and meet modern and more healthy expectations of beauty, you will still be beautiful while we might still be struggling.
May I take the picture?
Loren M. Lambert © May 17, 2013
Indeed, she had gained a lot. However, to care about her as a human being does not require her or anyone else to measure up to my or others’ expectations of “bed-able” beauty, optimal health, or the end-all of human value.
Weighing more than an ideal weight for current culture, and overall well-being, has many relative consequences and complex causes, with choice being one of them. But "fatness" is simply a more visible manifestation among many other potentially harmful, less-visible human proclivities, and behind which a lot of us hide in our hypocrisy as we ridicule or shun the obese.
This is not to suggest that we must pretend we don't see it, nor disengage from encouraging wise choices to those who can do otherwise. It is what it is, nothing more nothing less. Just realize that sometimes, the more humble souls of earth will see the other beautiful things about you, and despite your deemed imperfections, will choose and want to take a picture of you for having experienced your beauty without giving any pause due to your imperfections.
It's not that obesity is beautiful per se. It is just that, like the rest of us who strive for perfection despite our less visible flaws, you can be both fat and beautiful. If you want, and are able to make changes and meet modern and more healthy expectations of beauty, you will still be beautiful while we might still be struggling.
May I take the picture?
Loren M. Lambert © May 17, 2013
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