I cried when I met Laurie Halse Anderson. I thought I wouldn't, but I did, as I told her how she got into my head when writing Wintergirls and how much I wished younger me had read that book. Since this is a really tough (and physical) topic, I felt that a video would be the best way to get my story across:
I talk for approximately nine-ish minutes about disordered eating and body image, and read aloud from a few passages in Wintergirls that really fit exactly how I thought through the "over 800 calories a day are bad" time in my life. You definitely don't have to watch the video! And I'll be back with sparkles and happiness in my next post.
But in a world where teenage girls have to fight and petition magazines not to photoshop models and where unrealistic expectations about appearance are placed on both genders by a media machine churning out "perfect" image after "perfect" image, our stories need to come out.
Wintergirls is a good start.
I watched the whole thing. I'm actually having trouble putting together a coherent comment because there's so much I want to say...
ReplyDelete1. I think you're absolutely right--in this case, actually seeing you in a vlog was very impactful.
2. I haven't actually read Wintergirls, but I've heard of it, and I can't tell you how glad I am that people like Laurie Halse Anderson are shedding light on this topic. It's such a terrible problem in our culture. And I think it's true that reading a novel about something like this would help you see yourself from the outside and realize what tricks your mind was playing on you...
3. You ARE beautiful. I can say that because I've seen you now.:)
4. Yes, we are lucky to be able to eat, but we're NOT lucky to live in a culture where the media puts such emphasis on being thin. I was never a Wintergirl, but those "ideal" images messed with my head, and still do. It's maddening, especially when you're being shown bodies that are photoshopped but there is *no indication that they are photoshopped*. There should AT LEAST be laws requiring a label on photoshopped models.
I'm really glad you shared this. :) And I'm really glad you were able to crawl out of that dark place.
*jumps at Susan and gives her a GIANT HUG*
ReplyDelete*returns GIANT HUG* :D
Delete"I thought I needed to be thinner to be beautiful...I needed to be me."
ReplyDeleteYou are beautiful just the way you are and I love you. I'm so glad you realize just how perfect you are...inside and out. <3
You know what Laurie Halse Anderson means to me. We are so lucky to have such an amazing hero to look up to.
Thank you so much. *HUG* She really is a hero, giving voice to the tough topics in teen's lives. I want to be her when I grow up :)
DeleteYou are a beautiful, amazing person. Thank you for being brave and sharing this.
ReplyDelete((SMOOSH HUG))
DeleteLaurie H.A. was brave for writing this book. I can't imagine willingly diving into that world and pouring it out onto a page. She is awe-inspiring.
Really loved Wintergirls, here via LHA's tweet... and this video was just so moving. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world - Wintergirls is a good start but it's also so important (and inspiring) to get the real-person stories too.
ReplyDeleteThank you. <3 I'm only a little voice on the internet, but I'm hoping more and more wintergirls keep speaking out. <3
DeleteLife isn't always sparkles and happiness, is it? I'm glad you took time out to speak about a topic that's not fun to discuss. Your vlog was so precious and resonated with truths so many young girls NEED to hear!!
ReplyDeleteI want to share something with you that will always stick with me: When my beautiful sister was dying, she had lost so much weight, it became excrutiatingly painful for her to sit down. She laughed and said, "My gosh Jen, if I could go back in time, I would be thankful for any junk I had in my trunk, because now I'm wishing like heck I had something to sit on, other than bone."
I try to remind myself of that, whenever I can. My sister Emily was always trying to be "healthy" and ate no fat and not a lot of carbs. She was thin. But then she got sick. And being that skinny to start with, did her NO favors, trust me. As someone who ate organic, all natural whole foods, I will never forget how shocked she was, when she asked her Doctor (an uber-specialist at Uni of Penn) what she should be eating. He looked her in the face and said, "If you could keep McDonald's down, I would want you to eat it." On the way home, we drove straight to a drive through, to get her something she hadn't eaten in years: FRIES.
**Hugs** my friend. You are beautiful. Go on eating your chocolate girl! Live your life to the fullest and be happy-cause I know for a fact, it's just too short to stress out over a few extra pounds. xo
***(((Giant Hugs)))*** (sparkly and huggy hugs, at that!) to you, too.
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