Chubby Checker, Chubby cheeks, and Chubby Burger.....all nice things, but when I think of the word chubby I think of the time that I went away to sleep away camp (the one and only time I ever did, at least in my youth).
It was a YMCA girls camp and I went with my best friend Sharon, who lived across the street from me. It was a great camp, cabins, campfires, marshmallows, all the good stuff. They even had a swimming pool. I couldn't swim, never learned, but I stayed in the shallow end and had fun, at least until.....
Just like everywhere else, camp had it's "mean girls". There was probably a gang of 6 or 7 of them that liked to torment me by chanting "chubby can't swim, chubby can't swim". Now, at that age I don't even remember being chubby but maybe that was just because no one I knew was mean enough to call me that. Who knows?
I was a very shy girl and I guess my choice of a white bathing suit against my snow white skin was not the best look for me. It must have brought out the chub in me. Who knew, at the age of 12, that black was slimming?
That summer at camp really made an impression on me. At first I was so hurt and angry at those "mean girls" but, eventually, I got over being mad .
I did learn that mean is not cool. It taught me the lesson of kindness. Now, granted, there were times in my growing up (especially teenage) years where I lost sight of that lesson. But it has never really left me. I have tried hard not to be judgemental or just plain mean. I'm a much happier person because of that lesson and I am grateful that my children also learned it, although I never had to call them chubby to teach it to them.
And all these years later I have learned that my happiness is not measured in pounds.
Sad, we all seem to have stories like this. Mine was about being the opposite--too skinny. Or turning beet red when strangers spoke to me. But you are right. We learn the value of kindness and consider how others feel. The insight has been invaluable over the years. Thanks! Good post in a-z.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing that we are able to learn from our experiences, good or bad, isn't it?
DeleteThanks Judy, that's probably what I called them at the time!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I had an avid interest in gymnastics when I was a kid, but an ADULT, an actual gymnastics instructor, told me that "gymnastics isn't for chubby girls" and that I needed to pursue something more on my "physical level." I grew up with comments like that, so it didn't really make a difference at the time, but now as a "grown up" myself (well, depends on who you ask :p), having memories and experiences like that have made me more aware of what I'm saying to younger people. And you know what? I encourage them all in anything they want to do, no matter what their shape or size!
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