Plus sides of being plus size
Plus size..
A very common size (அப்படீன்னு நாமளே சொல்லிக்க வேண்டியது தான்) for Indian women these days.
Why? Well I am not a dietician to dissect the whats and whys of that million dollar question.
I am just another lazy mom, who every morning offer special pooja to all the gods of the world before facing a mirror.(உங்களுக்குத் தெரியாததா?) Imagine the poor husband.
I was never a petite woman. Since my adolescence I was this chubby little girl who then turned into a plump young girl who then turned into a bubbly woman(எப்படியெல்லாம் சமாளிக்க வேண்டியிருக்கு?). Now after two little rats I look like a blown up balloon waiting to burst. A balloon can at least fly.
One fine morning I was looking into my old snaps folder when a particular folder called for my attention. It was our honeymoon snaps folder. I happily opened it and was shocked.
What the hell? Who is that thin chick standing near my husband? (Remember I was on the plump side even before marriage).I got really bugged and started to dig all my old folders.
As I went backwards and backwards..It was like watching those before - after pictures of some famous slimming centers, only in reverse.
I showed them to my husband who looked at me like “And you didn’t notice this at all?”
That ended up to be another entertaining evening discussing my ‘balloon’ness (See how positive I am?) and finished it with a big family size pizza (one for each honey..)
One day one of my friends asked me “Aren’t you feeling bad about being a plus size woman?”
“Why should I be? I have lot of advantages on being a plus size woman.”
“What? You do? How?“ she was so surprised, poor thing.
“See ..Have you ever been given special attention in planes even when you are flying in economy class?”
“What? Nope..”
“I have. They always think that I am carrying.”
“Have you ever been treated like a queen in restaurants?”
“ah..No”
“I have been. Because they think that I am one of those who live only to eat. We score big in their charts you know?”(மேடத்துக்கு எல்லாத்துலயும் ஒரு ப்லேட் வைடா)
“Ok.stop.. you think these are the plus sides? Let me ask you something. Don’t you feel uncomfortable walking around with heavy luggages, sorry I mean..”
“No problem. Message received. But that is where you have to see the bright side. Since you are already carrying your own big assets on your legs, you will not be asked to carry extra. You see my point? I never have been asked to carry big stuff anywhere.” I grinned.
“You are hopeless” she said and left. I don’t have to tell you that that was our last meeting.
As I was saying, being plus size does have plus sides, in a many ways.
Imagine you are a very petite woman who is going to buy jewels . It would take lesser grams of gold to make your bangles than mine and extra links for that necklace. Think about an ‘ottiyanam’ for my size? Gee ..definitely extra gold. So that goes into more investment of gold.
I have more..
If you go for this fun rides or giant wheels or even in bus and train you are always given a full seat just for you. Now that is something, isn’t it?
When I go to long boring sessions of meetings or functions I used to look around and see people looking for a place to rest their hands.
Well I got a built in hand cushion. Tummy acts as a fantastic cushion you know? Ask my kids for confirmation they use it as their portable pillow.
I always walk with heads up that gives me a very confident look, no looking down as a shy woman ( I can’t see the floor anyways. Why bother?)
Being big has a wonderful plus side in public.
Try walking in a little crowded space, people will try to move as far as from you (ரோட் ரோலர பாத்தா நாம ஒதுங்கி போறதில்ல? அப்படித்தான்) and thus give you more space.
I once went to this distant relative’s wedding and I had chosen to wear a perfect outfit. A silk saree and kaasu maalai.(சொர்ணாக்கா??)
I walked in the hall with heads up (தரை தான் தெரியலயே) and you wouldn’t believe me, people stood up to wish me and some even gave me a seat under the fan.
They thought I am some big shot in politics.(And that is something about the image of our politicians.)
This same incident happened in a even bigger function. In kavingnar vairamuthu’s birthday celebration you know how many big shots would come.
Even there I was considered someone special because of my size and stature.(just a positive perception)
Have you tried those water rides in theme parks where you slide on Styrofoam boards and surf along a curve?
I was always a record holder there since I can slide almost up to the end just because of my weight. I see those slim women who can’t even make it to the water.
If you let me go on, I will make one 'big' (இதுலயுமா?)list on plus sides of being a plus size.But I do feel a little put off about my size at one point.
It is when I go to dress shops. I see this lovely dress and there won’t a XXL size in it.
I wonder what these designers have against us that they always design plain ugly stuff for plus size women and make these elegant things for thin women. Probably they are jealous of us who knows?
But I do overcome that somehow. Know how? I just go and splurge myself with the stylish outfits in maternity section. Seriously? Who cares?
My BIL has a theory on why more plus size or rather women with pot belly, bag belly, slob belly and various other interesting shaped bellies are there in India. In western countries they mostly wear pants with buttons. What do we wear? Salwars and sarees.
What happens? As we grow fatter and fatter, our belly balloons out and all we got to do is loosen up that damn rope.
That’s it. You keep going like this as long as there is enough rope and enough garment, but before we grow out of rope we change to new salwar with new measurement. (எப்படியெல்லாம் யோசிக்கிறாய்ங்கப்பா?)
There is a saying in Tamil – Those who are fat cannot be cunning.( குண்டா இருக்கறவங்க மனசுல சூது வாதே இருக்காது. – எவனோ கும்பகர்ணன் சொன்னது போல. இருக்கட்டும் விடுங்க நமக்கு உதவுதுல்ல?)
With this philosophy I always have a happy face even with bulging size.
I don’t call myself a fat woman.
I call myself ‘Thick Madam’ (bless that soul who coined that word).
So, all Thick Madams out there.
Don’t feel bad because you are fat.
You are who you are, regardless of how you are.
Bring that childhood smile on your face and heart, you will fly like a feather in this world.
I am not trying to make a statement that 'being fat is good' and/or 'being thin is bad'.
It is just an attempt to make those poor souls in fat bodies to feel light and see the bright side of life - by attitude.
It is not possible to become thin and slim overnight(உடனடியா கில்லி வேணா ஆடலாம். ஒல்லி ஆக முடியுமா?) but while still staying in the bigger side, you need not kill yourself in self pity.
The Life is like an ice cream
enjoy it before it melts
(இதுல கூட திங்கிறத பத்தித் தான் தோணுது பாருங்க).
"It doesn't necessarily need a light body to enjoy the dance of life but a light mind."
- originally posted for Indusladies .
Pictures courtesy- google images
