Body Shaming

Most everyone who follows me on social media knows I pole dance, because I'm not shy about posting photos or videos.  But, what most don't know is that pole dance is therapy for me.  It's a way for me to conquer my extreme shyness,  social anxiety and fear of heights all while challenging my breakfast to stay down because I'm also prone to motion sickness.  Maybe because I'm thin and look the part, you might think it comes easy to me.  But, I assure you, I'm an uncoordinated 45 year old woman who never had a dance class until the age of 40, and it ain't easy.

But age is nothing but a number.  

Because I pole dance, sometimes people post pole related links on my profile, which I find incredibly inspiring.  It's one of the things I like most about pole, seeing other people achieve what they didn't even know they could do.  But, everything has a flip side.  It was bound to happen sooner or later.  Someone sent me a condescending photo meant to be funny with an overweight woman on a pole.   Except there was nothing funny about it.   But, there was a hell of a lot inspiring about it.  The woman pictured in the photo was both stronger than me and braver than me.

Because weight is nothing but a number.  

Even though our society tells us otherwise.  It's a big, fat lie.  You are not your dress size or your body mass index just the same as you're not your SAT score or your gross earnings in a year.   What defines you is far more intangible, but far more important.  Integrity, compassion, courage, empathy, strength and humility.  And if you have those qualities, you don't need to make anyone feel smaller in order to feel bigger.

Because life isn't about numbers at all, it's about living.