Even those of us that love -- or at least accept -- our bodies tend to wish we were a little skinnier or toned or smooth or flat. YouTube user Dodie Clark perfectly articulates the tension that exists between how we want to feel (and know we should feel) about our bodies and how women actually feel on a day-to-day basis. As Clark explains, the two are often dangerously in conflict with each other.
She poignantly says:
I love my body
We know that's a lie
Because I can't wear leggings
They show my big thighs
I don't conform to society's rules!
But it sure would be nice to look thin by the pool.
I'm tubby and proud I say out loud
But staring at my fat is not allowed
I'll pull up my tights and wear baggy tops
And Google how many calories are in lollipopsThey say be healthy be happy and I am neither
But I don't want to munch salad either
my stomach is screaming for more than just leaves
Stuff me with chocolate and chips and cheese!
The three dreaded c's where the calories are in the triple digits.
Clark's words tremble on the shaky bridge between "thin" and "happy," and many women can relate to the discovery that neither an "good" day of salad-eating or a "bad" one of chocolate actually makes them much happier. She reminds us that practicing body positivity is a daily process, and having occassional (or daily) doubts about our self-image does not mean we have failed ourselves -- or each other -- in the ongoing crusade for body acceptance.
"Oh make me a princess, a size zero fairy, but that just can't happen. Unless I give up dairy," Clark laments. Watch the video to the end to see how she solves this conundrum. (Full disclosure: you will want ice cream instantly.)
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