Something Wonderful

I can remember the first time I apologized for being fat. I was six years old and I was at a rehearsal for the high school's production of "The King and I." I can remember being fawned over and babied by the high school girls and when we'd sit down to listen to the director, they'd whisper for me to come sit on their laps. One day, the tiny sixteen year old who was playing Lady Thiang patted her tiny lap and whispered, "Andrea, come... sit!"

I shook my head, "No, I'm too heavy!"

She giggled and pulled me over to her, "Oh come on!" and as she lifted me over onto her thin thighs, "...oof, you are heavy!"

That was what it took - my baptism into the world of body awareness! Of course, she was sixteen, and I wasn't any heavier than any other six year old she'd pick up, but I'd already planted the seed and it started to grow.

A slightly chubby kid and then a chubby adolescent and then finally a fat woman. Through all of that, I've mixed up my feelings about food and self worth and health and fitness and fun.

The goal of this blog is to chronicle my adventures as I push myself past the boundaries that I set up and maintained - beginning back when I was just a wee little chubby, eyeliner smeared, white girl in Ohio playing the youngest daughter of the King of Siam (and probably before.)