Hips Don't Lie!
Growing up as a dancer my body was always right there in front of the mirror for me to see. I was definitely comfortable in my own skin, but that didn’t necessarily mean I liked it. Like the girl in “Curves” I was also really, really skinny growing up, however I was also (in my own opinion) un-proportionate. I always thought I had, quite possibly, the largest hips in the universe. It was so hard finding pants that fit because I had the skinniest waist but huge hips. I remember in high school getting teased about my “child bearing hips” and comments about how I’d be able to “pop kids out like footballs.” It’s so sad, because I barely understood what these insults entailed, yet they always made me feel bad about my body. In ballet, we weren’t allowed to wear shorts or dance pants over our leotards and I remember agonizing about how big my hips looked. I used to look at myself in the mirror and put my arms down straight a little in front of my body and picture what I would look like if I had no hips. Even though I was skinny, I could never show my midriff off like other girls because of the weird difference between my hips and my waist. I always thought it would have been ok if I had an hourglass, but thanks to my mom I inherited the “biggest hips in the world” alongside the “smallest breasts in the world.” It’s hard to admit, but I’m just now coming to terms with my body’s shape. I know we criticize celebrities so much for their influence, and I know this celebrity is not the best role model, but I recently became a fan of Kim Kardashian because like me, she has a small waist and bigger hips. I finally realize that my shape is womanly, and my curves are something to be proud of. It’s weird, because I always felt comfortable with my personality; it was just those hips I wished I could have shaved off. It’s sad that I’m a senior in college and it’s just within the last year I have started to feel comfortable.
Along the lines of periods, I felt like I was the LAST one to get mine! In my group of friends it wasn’t something that seemed to carry a stigma. I think because a lot of us had older sisters it was something that meant we were finally becoming big girls! I remember my best friend was the first in my group of friends to get her period. I was on vacation in Connecticut visiting family and I remember crying because I couldn’t be there for her. LOL. After, at our next sleepover we talked about how it was such a big deal that now she could have babies. When I finally got mine I felt like I became a member of the club. Getting a little personal…do any of you guys use a cup? One of my friends told me last year about them. Instead of using tampons, which contribute waste and can be harmful to your body, she uses a menstrual cup every month. Has anyone else heard of this or uses one? It seems like people think the only options are tampons and pads, when that is really not the case.
From body image to body functions, I think that girls definitely need to be more educated. I was so happy to browse around on the Scarleteen website. It seems like there are more cool resources for girls every day. It makes me hope that by the time I have a daughter there will be enough out there that she won’t ever have to worry about her weight, height, appearance, breasts, or her HIPS! Because I know she’ll inherit those babies!!
Along the lines of periods, I felt like I was the LAST one to get mine! In my group of friends it wasn’t something that seemed to carry a stigma. I think because a lot of us had older sisters it was something that meant we were finally becoming big girls! I remember my best friend was the first in my group of friends to get her period. I was on vacation in Connecticut visiting family and I remember crying because I couldn’t be there for her. LOL. After, at our next sleepover we talked about how it was such a big deal that now she could have babies. When I finally got mine I felt like I became a member of the club. Getting a little personal…do any of you guys use a cup? One of my friends told me last year about them. Instead of using tampons, which contribute waste and can be harmful to your body, she uses a menstrual cup every month. Has anyone else heard of this or uses one? It seems like people think the only options are tampons and pads, when that is really not the case.
From body image to body functions, I think that girls definitely need to be more educated. I was so happy to browse around on the Scarleteen website. It seems like there are more cool resources for girls every day. It makes me hope that by the time I have a daughter there will be enough out there that she won’t ever have to worry about her weight, height, appearance, breasts, or her HIPS! Because I know she’ll inherit those babies!!
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