Hi friend,
Today I’m thinking about the expression “take a load off.” It’s generally used to mean taking the metaphorical weight, the load, of daily burdens and cares off your shoulders and relax.
Not all burdens can be set aside like that, though. The cognitive load of existing as a fat person is one of them.
Will you take a little journey of the imagination with me? Imagine that you are a very fat person, and that your grandmother just died. Your goal is to get across the United States quickly for the funeral.
There’s no time to drive 3,000 miles, or to take a train (which would likely be designed to exclude your fat body anyway). So you have to fly.
But last-minute flyers can’t be choosers, especially the really fat ones, so you’re stuck with whatever flights Southwest has available, which means awkward flight times and layovers. So be it.
(More on Southwest in a moment.)
Last-minute funeral-dress-needers can’t be choosers, either. You don’t have a dress appropriate for a Southern funeral, and you can’t hit the mall and expect to find clothing in your size at all, nonetheless exactly what you need. So you kludge together a top and skirt that aren’t too outré, throw them in your suitcase, and go.
The first moment of the day in which you’re reminded of the unacceptability of your body is at 7 a.m., in the security screening machine at your home airport.
It was designed to exclude bodies like yours, so it’s awkward to squeeze inside, and your fat groin and thighs set off the machine. The bored Transportation Security Administration agent pats you down, her hands pressing firmly against you.
When they wave you on, having discovered nothing but fat, you head into the central food court for coffee and a pastry. There’s no sitting down for you, though, since the few available chairs during the morning rush are all narrow molded things with arms.
Hi there! I'm Lindley. I create artwork that celebrates the unique beauty of bodies that fall outside conventional "beauty" standards at Body Liberation Photography. I'm also the creator of Body Liberation Stock and the Body Love Shop, a curated central resource for body-friendly artwork and products. Find all my work here at bodyliberationphotos.com.