Some people shouldn't be allowed to breed.

[kjpepper]

So today was busy busy busy at work and I still haven't quite recovered from the weekend (incidentally I still need to write about all that)... so for lunch I decided to bike out King Street and get myself the rare treat of Burger King. 'Cause every so often, the call of the vanilla milkshake seduces me.

So I'm there, standing a little back from the line becuase I haven't decided what I wanted, and this woman and her daughter come in behind me. The woman has the sort of pinched scarecrow look that comes of spending too long in cube hell. The girl's maybe eightish, a little on the heavy side, a lot on the whiny, but I'm in a fairly good mood so that doesn't bother me too much. Anyway, as I'm ordering, she's telling her mom she wants a milkshake, and her mother's telling her no, and so the kid tries bargaining ("just a little one?") and I'm getting a wee bit annoyed (but not too much, since my food was to-go, thank goodness) and then the mother says it.

"You can't, honey. You don't want to grow up and be all size 20 and ugly, do you?"

Cue the MAJOR triggering. People still say this shit to their kids? She could have given this kid any other reason, any at all, but no, she had to go the reinforcing stupid beauty standards route. Not to mention if you're trying to get your kid to eat healthier for any reason you shouldn't be within 200 feet of a fast food restaurant.

Those of you that know me that this sort of thing is a major trigger for me, not because I have problems with my weight (I don't... finally.) but because I grew up with the relentless message that I SHOULD have an issue with it, that I should want to aspire to be oh, a single digit size or something. I don't, and I never really have, even though I can point to a couple of periods in my life where I've talked the talk, but I know that I don't have the will nor the desire to do anything about my weight other than leave it the fuck alone. And it's just in the past few years that I've recognized that I'm damn cute. All 200 some odd pounds of me. But I still have problems with the whole plus size = unattractive. Especially as hello? size 20 isn't all that big. Speaking from experience here.

So yes, this thoroughly ruined my lunch. Even though I had the satisfaction of the woman's horrified face to take back to the office with me, since I picked up my food and my milkshake, turned around, and said very sweetly, "I'm size 20*, and I'm gorgeous."

Now I have to go betake my beauteous plus size self elsewhere.

* we'll just overlook the fact that I've been wearing 18s for the past two months, ok?

Comments

[kshandra]

I haven't been a size 20 since I graduated high school. I'd love to be one again.

And damn right you're gorgeous. ;-)

[nepenthedreams]

since I picked up my food and my milkshake, turned around, and said very sweetly, "I'm size 20*, and I'm gorgeous."


I love it, I love it!

[seanp.livejournal.com]

This is almost as bad as when I saw a mother tell her daughter to stop running around Wal-Mart unless she wanted to get left in "the men's room where they molest the little girlies."

[sundart.livejournal.com]

mmmm, yeah, you make my rockin' world go round. ;)

I just think it was awesome you said something. Messages like that are left unchallenged far too often.

[carolatina.livejournal.com]

You are so rocking my world right now.

[masteradept.livejournal.com]

NICE!!!

Bad thing is that mom sounds like a friend of mines mom who always berates her on what she eats. Silly idiots.

I love it too!!!

[gossamer-gull.livejournal.com]

I'm so awed and proud! I can't believe you said that to her. Mad fucking props, hot stuff! You need size 20s just to hold your uberNads!

You so rock my world. See:

This is my world: ----------
This is my world on Andee: /\/\/\/\/\
Any questions?

*hug*

[peacockdress.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Good call! I love it when those kind of comebacks don't come to me five minutes too late.

[innostrantsa.livejournal.com]

andee, already you FUCKING ROCK.

even more do you FUCKING ROCK for calling that snatch-pastry on her rudeness, thoughtlessness and plain asshattery. one hopes that your sweetness and FUCKING ROCK-ERY ruined her dinner, because one's evil like that.

[myburningviolin.livejournal.com]

Well, I always thought that you were the hottest of stuff, grrl.
...Now that no talent ass clown knows it too.

What kind of mother actually encourages that kind of thinking in her little girl? Wtf?

It makes me want to stick freedom fries up her nose. For real.

Mad props to you, grrl. Someone has to educate the clueless.
-t.

JUST SAY IT!

[pjamms.livejournal.com]

I can't believe how incredibly perfect that was. Good for you! You just made my day...and given me more courage. :-)

Much love!

[sydneycat.livejournal.com]

You know how I feel about you sweetie. I'm wicked glad you had the courage and presence of mind to say something. You're gorgeous and I'll get to hug you and tell you that in person tomorrow!
S.

[austingoddess.livejournal.com]

Fucking go you, girl. Right in her ear.
- fellow good-looking size 20, who thinks a size 14-16 would be perfect on me

[twilighter.livejournal.com]

Size 22 Me sez: Omg, K.J. Pepper, you are a/the goddess and that kid will never forget her brief glimpse of the glory of you. Excellent. :)

[beatgoddess.livejournal.com]

That was priceless. God, I wish you had one of these red stickers with you, you could have taped her mouth shut.