>>938 I was watching the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." There is a woman in the movie who is supposed to me grotesquely overweight. The movie was made in the 1990's, and I remember watching it back then and thinking, "Wow, can a person really be that big?" But, today, I was thinking "Why is everyone in her town staring? It's normal to see that every day." Then I realized that things really changed very drastically and suddenly. I'm a little bit scared and sad. It is said that the new generation of kids will be the first that will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
Yes, people are saying that traditionally attractive people are like Barbies, and saying those things hurts people's feelings who do happen to be skinny or have a nice face. What is strange to me, is I never considered myself attractive while I was growing up. But, I started exercising just a little bit and not overeating, and most other Americans did the opposite. Now, people give me dirty looks and say I must be stupid or unfriendly.
What bothers me the most, is when large people refer to themselves as "healthy." Yes, many people are actually making themselves believe that diet and exercise are unhealthy. I think that the reason this is spinning out of control is that as soon as the majority shifted to the overweight side, all of those people could suddenly support themselves and each other, because "majority rules." Now, I am only trying to keep my body somewhat healthy and how I personally like it to look, and people tell me that I am unhealthy and don't have the body of a "real woman." But, if I were to fit in, I would have to overeat and stop exercising. I want to have a longer life expectancy, so I put up with people's deciding I am their "enemy," even though it isn't fair.
The topic of self-esteem is interesting and important, I think. I feel that people who try to get their self-esteem by being in denial of other people's good qualities are going about it the wrong way. Before, those people would just live a life of hating the people around them, or they would be forced to accept the truth and make a change for the better. But, what happens when those people are the majority? They'll never have to accept the truth?? Then, what happens to all the other people?
I also have a quote that I like, and I think it fits well with this topic. It is from the book Farenheit 451. In the book, society became too lazy. This is what one character who is still smart but likes the hellish world said: " We must all be alike... Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against."
Americans are letting that happen right now, and I think it's scary.
I hope that I always have mountains against which to judge myself, so that I can continue to grow. I think it is sad when people don't want to become the mountains themselves.
I wrote way too much! I think it's a fascinating topic. Because your English is great, I used advanced English. I hope you're not too bored now! Hahaha. ^_^
