(More Than) Grrrl Power! Girls Studies at UCF

To be completely honest, I remember more about wanting my period, then when I actually got it. I didn't get it until I was 14. Everyone around me was growing up it seemed, and leaving me behind. Boys, boobs, bras, periods. My favorite movie was Now and Then , and to this day, I could watch it a million times and never get tired of it. It helped me identify with who I was back then. There was the girl who didn't want boobs and taped them down, the girl who had no boobs and experimented with pudding, and the other two - who seemed content with their boob size. I hate to say it, but I identified with Teeny (the one who experimented with pudding-filled balloons in her bra). I was a late bloomer. And I wanted so badly to be anything but that. Looking at myself now, I can honestly say that I uhh.... caught up? with the rest of the girls... haha. I remember those awkward moments when I knew that the boys didn't see me b/c I was the scrawny, flat-chested blonde girl who just didn...

The essays in this week’s Red were incredibly touching, honest and revealing. I felt like I related to almost every story. I was chubby growing up, and got teased a lot about being the “fat girl,” much like Amy in “Sleeves.” I never thought I would be the pretty girl that all the boys liked. However, when I did martial arts, I lost a lot of weight. I was tiny, but muscular and in shape. My experience was a lot like Alison Smith’s “Curve.” Strangers constantly told me how thin I was and that I needed food. Yes, I was thin, and aware of how skinny I was. No, I did not need food. I ate a LOT. I love that Alison embraces her hips, her one curve (9). I also loved the juxtaposition of the two stories- “Sleeves” and “Curves.” Both girls want what the other has, both girls strive to be “normal” (7, 9). (As a side note- now in college, not doing martial arts, I have gained some weight. However, the only person that makes me feel bad about my weight is…me, if I’m having a bad day.) ...