Ah, the Ground Round. I had blocked that place out until now. The one we went to let you throw peanut shells on the floor. Now that's class. So "American"!
I used to get skeptical looks when I was in the "Under 10 eat free" crowd, too. I'm tall, and even though I must have been fairly thin (I am not a good judge of these issues) when I was, say, 9, the waiters would look at me when I told them I was under ten and therefore qualified for free food. "Really?" They would ask, and squint their eyes. So I was a big girl too, tall, big boned, apparently. As though I was going to eat them out of business because I was entirely too big to be nine, and feeding me for free was definitely a hardship.
So why do they persist in making little kids, who should be worried about other things, feel bad about themselves like this? I've never, ever, been petite and I have always been uncomfortably aware of it. Never been a smiling little girl with pink ribbons in my ponytails, that people sighed and said "ahhh…. so cute". Even today, when I walk, accidentally, into the "petite" section of the department store, I've had women actually do a doubletake on me. What am I, Godzilla? Please, people, I'm smaller than I apparently look. Pfffht. I hope to God this never happens to my kids, cause I'm sure they're going to be lanky, big boned things too. And they'll have enough to stress over with their red hair freckles and sunburn prone fishy white complexions and thick myopic eyeglasses….. god forbid they should get the husband's buck teeth too. It's enough to put me on the birth control patch you talked about earlier. :)
Isn't it amazing how things as simple as words can hurt so bad and stay with you for so long? I had my father joke about my weight before I left for my sophomore year of college, and I proceeded to become anorexic. Jesus, if my father, a man who was supposed to champion my self esteem and be a positive influence in my life, felt that way about me, what would some random guy think of me?
You have such a unique way of summarizing the cringe-worthy moments of childhood.
I was "skinny my binny and flat at that" and "flat as a board and never been nailed." I drank milkshakes and stuffed my face in hopes of growing breasts and an ass, to no avail. But anyone who tells you that being painfully thin is as bad as being overweight as a kid is lying, I believe. Ouch. Glad your lovely father rescued you.
Congrats on losing the weight! You look great and should be proud of it!
Tricia
My dad used to live in fear that I'd have his weight problems. I was chubby – mostly just puberty weight, but he didn't know. I always got the "how about celery?" for a snack line or "we'll make this diet fun for you." I was about 12. They were, of course, surprised to find later that I developed a problem with laxatives. Ick. Not anymore. Turns out I have my mom's metabolism.
Wendy
Are you aware of the fact that 'Chinaman/men' is a racially offensive term used against Chinese people in the same vein as 'nigger' or 'kike'? Granted, it is a somewhat antiquated term used mostly in the 19th c and the earlier half of the 20th c, but that, I'm afraid, does little to diminish its pejorative power. Ergo the corrective title of Maxine Hong Kingston's novel/fictional history 'China Men.' I cringed hardcore when I read that in your otherwise charming entry – I am hoping that you wrote with ignorance rather than racism.
Paula
Your Dad sounds a little like my Dad. His words always cut deep.
s
Ditto Wendy's comments. For someone with such a wonderful command of the English language and an assumably cosmopolitan education, this was a rather disheartening entry.
I love your blog! I just started reading it today and it is fantastic! I'm so buying your book… Anyway, I had the same exact experience at the Ground Round. No wonder their out of business, when the fat kids grew up we were too traumatized to eat their.
that brings back such memories. i had the same experience down to my father says the same thing as yours.
We all have a scary story from the treasure trove of "I'd rather forget it happened during my childhood" but you tell them so well.
Ah, the Ground Round. I had blocked that place out until now. The one we went to let you throw peanut shells on the floor. Now that's class. So "American"!
wow! how insensitive!
I used to get skeptical looks when I was in the "Under 10 eat free" crowd, too. I'm tall, and even though I must have been fairly thin (I am not a good judge of these issues) when I was, say, 9, the waiters would look at me when I told them I was under ten and therefore qualified for free food. "Really?" They would ask, and squint their eyes. So I was a big girl too, tall, big boned, apparently. As though I was going to eat them out of business because I was entirely too big to be nine, and feeding me for free was definitely a hardship.
So why do they persist in making little kids, who should be worried about other things, feel bad about themselves like this? I've never, ever, been petite and I have always been uncomfortably aware of it. Never been a smiling little girl with pink ribbons in my ponytails, that people sighed and said "ahhh…. so cute". Even today, when I walk, accidentally, into the "petite" section of the department store, I've had women actually do a doubletake on me. What am I, Godzilla? Please, people, I'm smaller than I apparently look. Pfffht. I hope to God this never happens to my kids, cause I'm sure they're going to be lanky, big boned things too. And they'll have enough to stress over with their red hair freckles and sunburn prone fishy white complexions and thick myopic eyeglasses….. god forbid they should get the husband's buck teeth too. It's enough to put me on the birth control patch you talked about earlier. :)
Isn't it amazing how things as simple as words can hurt so bad and stay with you for so long? I had my father joke about my weight before I left for my sophomore year of college, and I proceeded to become anorexic. Jesus, if my father, a man who was supposed to champion my self esteem and be a positive influence in my life, felt that way about me, what would some random guy think of me?
thats horrible…
Fathers can be such models of sensitivity and tactfulness.
Stephanie –
You have such a unique way of summarizing the cringe-worthy moments of childhood.
I was "skinny my binny and flat at that" and "flat as a board and never been nailed." I drank milkshakes and stuffed my face in hopes of growing breasts and an ass, to no avail. But anyone who tells you that being painfully thin is as bad as being overweight as a kid is lying, I believe. Ouch. Glad your lovely father rescued you.
Congrats on losing the weight! You look great and should be proud of it!
My dad used to live in fear that I'd have his weight problems. I was chubby – mostly just puberty weight, but he didn't know. I always got the "how about celery?" for a snack line or "we'll make this diet fun for you." I was about 12. They were, of course, surprised to find later that I developed a problem with laxatives. Ick. Not anymore. Turns out I have my mom's metabolism.
Are you aware of the fact that 'Chinaman/men' is a racially offensive term used against Chinese people in the same vein as 'nigger' or 'kike'? Granted, it is a somewhat antiquated term used mostly in the 19th c and the earlier half of the 20th c, but that, I'm afraid, does little to diminish its pejorative power. Ergo the corrective title of Maxine Hong Kingston's novel/fictional history 'China Men.' I cringed hardcore when I read that in your otherwise charming entry – I am hoping that you wrote with ignorance rather than racism.
Your Dad sounds a little like my Dad. His words always cut deep.
Ditto Wendy's comments. For someone with such a wonderful command of the English language and an assumably cosmopolitan education, this was a rather disheartening entry.
Hm. I had the opposite problem — I didn't have a figure until my early 30s.
People just don't get it.
I love your blog! I just started reading it today and it is fantastic! I'm so buying your book… Anyway, I had the same exact experience at the Ground Round. No wonder their out of business, when the fat kids grew up we were too traumatized to eat their.