“A woman can never be too thin or too rich”
I could live easily with being too rich, but I have been too thin and it was not lovely. People were alarmed and frightened when they saw me. Of course, there was good reason for it because I was starving to death from a bad surgery that left me unable to absorb food.
When I hit 95 pounds and I had the distinct feeling I was actually dying — and I had no insurance — before Mass Health was functioning — somehow, I found a doctor who took me into the hospital and repaired me, told me to gain 30 pounds, preferably 40 — which took longer than it should have, but I’d forgotten how to eat. And no one sent me a bill.
Then I got cancer. They stuffed me full of chemicals and I put on 30 pounds faster than you can say FAT, FAT, FAT and there I have remained. Oddly, pretty much everyone said “You look SO much better! You looked ill before.” When size zero is too big, you probably need to put on few pounds.
I was not designed to be skinny and I was not built to be huge. I was built to be solid, which is what I currently am and probably will be. It has been a long time since my size changed.
The current belief that beauty and thinness are the same are an advertising thing. The clothing that comes out of design houses is built not only for thin women, but for tall ones. I’m short. I’m solid. I used to have a waistline but with age, it seems to have fallen down and become part of the top of my thighs. I didn’t know that could happen.
We need fewer Barbie dolls and clothing that looks good on real, live women who do things, like go grocery shopping and take walks with their dogs. And who eat a normal amount of food and even — AN OCCASIONAL DESSERT!
You can be too thin.
But too rich? I could probably live very nicely with too rich.
I think that too rich is curable by being charitable, but too thin is much harder to fix. I’m sorry you had such hard health times! Oh, and I read that they are remaking Barbies to actually resemble humans–however much that might discourage some folks!
LikeLike
It’s true about the world — our world, anyway — being designed for tall people. My kitchen counter hits me at the level of my bra. I have a dry sink from the early 1900s that’s the perfect height. I do most of my work on that. 🙂
LikeLike
I used to be able to fix the show curtain hooks, but I shrunk. Now, someone else has to do it. Garry can still reach it, but when I need a tall someone, I call the kid. Who would think someone as little as me could breed such a big kid 🙂
Everything is too tall for me — except the toilets. THEY are too short.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got very thin once due to ill health, not a natural state for me either (I tended to slim but curvy) and looked ill. Oddly enough, that was my so-called ‘ideal’ weight for my age and height. I look and fel better a little heavier and don’t need to diet to keep a false self-image going ;).
LikeLike
Ill health and thinness are rarely attractive. I was quite yellow, too. I’m just happy I’m actually alive at all. There was a really thin line there for a while. I think we also all get a little thinner as we age. We just eat less which is apparently normal. But I was REALLY thin and it was not pretty at all. I looked gaunt and sick — and I WAS gaunt and sick.
LikeLike
Same here…though not the yellow. On the other hand, though I eat less and less, and I’m still working and active, I don’t seem to be getting thinner now 😉
LikeLike
The other thing that age eliminates is our metabolism. As long as YOU feel healthy, that’s all that matter. I could use fewer pounds and it would help the arthritis, but NO one wants me to go on a diet. Literally. My digestive thing is very messy, so just keeping it functioning is plenty.
LikeLike
I’d noticed that 😉
I would sort of like to feel healthy… but I’m determined not to feel uncomfortable, so my weight will do what it pleases, within reason, far a while.
LikeLike
I’m about 25 pounds overweight which apparently is not as big a deal as I used to think. My back would sure like me being lighter. I was dying of starvation, but my back was HAPPY. Dying to improve the arthritis didn’t seem worth it, so I went with surviving cancer, heart surgery, and being overweight. Besides, I don’t own anything that won’t stretch. Once you go yoga pants, you never go back.
LikeLike
I do yoga pants for Nick’s, and nice, flowing elasticated skirts the rest of the time 🙂 For my age, I am just about within the limits though for me, I am a winter overweight. I’m hoping summer wil take care of that for the sake of spine and knees 😉
LikeLike
I’ve got so many other problems, worrying about being thin is not even on my main list! I LOVE elastic.
LikeLike
Being loved for who you are helps no end. So does elastic 😉
LikeLike
Garry isn’t even a little bit fat, but having discovered elastic, he won’t wear anything else. He has REALLY retired.
LikeLike
Don’t blame him at all after a lifetime in suits 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
He wore a suit and tie every day for more than 40 years. Elastic is just fine 🙂
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Bravo! I am pleased to see the trend turning from ‘you can never be too thin’ to sensible sizes. One day the designers will have to catch up, because who buys most of their clothing or at least is responsible for them (designers) being in business? Jane Q. Public. And she’s not 6’1″ and maybe 125 lbs on her worst day either.
LikeLike
They ARE making clothing bigger and being bigger no longer requires you wear a mumu everywhere. Besides, I’m such a shrimp, fashion never worked for me, even when I was really thin — but I sure could buy really tiny jeans. I don’t think I could get ONE leg into them now.
LikeLike
You can be too thin and I do think you can be too rich. I would be more in favour of a more equitable distribution of wealth. No one should have to live on the streets and not have enough to eat.
Leslie
LikeLike
I would like to struggle with being too rich. I could give away the spare amounts which would make lots of people happy, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s the right kind of rich, Marilyn, you’d be sharing it to help others too.
LikeLike
And you would be welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😉
LikeLike
Speaking as one of the tall ones, the clothing coming out of the design houses for the thin ones, only fits if you have no waistline. Mine was perfect, it was around what it thought was the waist. Unfortunately it dropped a few centimeters on the way to the back. I made my own clothes for a few years and knew how to alter my clothes to fit. Unfortunately we are not all Twiggys, and have our own marks left on our bodies by various circumstances out of our control. No-one is perfect, although of course we are, it is the others that are not perfect.
LikeLike
Perfect bodies are rare. And fashion isn’t – wasn’t – and will never be for me. At the very least, it needs height, otherwise, you look like a dumpling.
LikeLike
I couldn’t agree more! Media has so distorted what is normal for human beings that it’s tragic!
LikeLike
I still maintain it’s a combination of Twiggy crossed with Barbie. We’ll never recover.
LikeLike
Indeed, it was Twiggy that became women’s downfall. Barbie was the ridiculous perfection of it all. I hated her. My first doll I threw aside figuring I could never be that perfect. Even then as a child I was insulted by it.
LikeLike
Fashion dolls were never my favorite, but the early ones were at least built like human women — models — might be build. Barbie was always ridiculous.
LikeLike
I know, right?! For years I was wanted as a model. I hated that the outer look was more important than the inner beauty. I destroyed that idea good and proper! roflmao In hindsight I wished I’d kept the figure, at least I’d be healthier I suspect.
LikeLike
Everyone asks, if you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? That you can have outer beauty, but tend the inner beauty. Keep healthy! I really hated how acceptable I was when “perfect” and how I was tossed aside when the outer beauty wasn’t visible. Add insult to injury, as you get “old” your ideas and perceptions are unimportant! hmmmph
LikeLike
I actually think I’m better looking older than I was younger. I have cheekbones now that were missing years ago. The camera doesn’t love me, but I’m comfortable with me. Fewer pounds would be nicer for my back, but I’m not huge, just not thin.
LikeLike
Your perfect as you are! In every way 🙂
LikeLike