When I was growing up there was simply skinny and fat. Sure over the years fat became preamble to a myriad of configurations; plus size, chubby, curvy, obese, voluptuous, full-figured, etc. But skinny was skinny. Or so I thought.
I never realized how many versions of skinny there was until I moved to Los Angeles. And even then, it took me nearly two years to realize I'm not skinny.
We've created so many categories for our bodies that I don't know what I am. In fact, "skinny" might be an extinct word at this point.
Triangle? Tall? Pear? Hour-glass? Straight? Let's just shout out random shapes, fruits, words and objects and see if your body looks like it! That's basically what body-typing has become.
According to my boyfriend I am "athletic". Which for a 5'10" woman who prefers jeans to skirts and struggles daily with being feminine is the exact opposite of what I want to hear. Being athletic is not sexy, it's not dainty, it's not girly. It's muscular and masculine...and a quick google search showed it also means I have no butt and no boobs. Great. I don't want to be athletic. I want to be skinny!
I don't even know how I got this body-type. Genetics I suppose, though neither of my parents (or extended family for that matter) are very sporty. We like being outside, but no one is out running marathons or participating in tournaments. I'm not a fitness nut. Two miles is about my max for a run. And though I try to eat healthy, you certainly won't find my in the aisles of Whole Foods or on a weekly juice cleanse.
I used to love my body. And sometimes I still do. In fact, most of the time I don't mind it until I start comparing it to the tiny people in my life...and again, being 5'10"- there's a lot of tiny people in my life.
In a world (and a city) that works hard to define you...I've forgotten to define myself. And once I did, I was amused and invigorated by my discovery:
I am strong. I AM skinny.
We've created so many categories for our bodies that I don't know what I am. In fact, "skinny" might be an extinct word at this point.
Triangle? Tall? Pear? Hour-glass? Straight? Let's just shout out random shapes, fruits, words and objects and see if your body looks like it! That's basically what body-typing has become.
According to my boyfriend I am "athletic". Which for a 5'10" woman who prefers jeans to skirts and struggles daily with being feminine is the exact opposite of what I want to hear. Being athletic is not sexy, it's not dainty, it's not girly. It's muscular and masculine...and a quick google search showed it also means I have no butt and no boobs. Great. I don't want to be athletic. I want to be skinny!
I don't even know how I got this body-type. Genetics I suppose, though neither of my parents (or extended family for that matter) are very sporty. We like being outside, but no one is out running marathons or participating in tournaments. I'm not a fitness nut. Two miles is about my max for a run. And though I try to eat healthy, you certainly won't find my in the aisles of Whole Foods or on a weekly juice cleanse.
I used to love my body. And sometimes I still do. In fact, most of the time I don't mind it until I start comparing it to the tiny people in my life...and again, being 5'10"- there's a lot of tiny people in my life.
In a world (and a city) that works hard to define you...I've forgotten to define myself. And once I did, I was amused and invigorated by my discovery:
I am strong. I AM skinny.
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