One day when I was 15 years old, I was making food in the kitchen. My brother came in. He placed his beef next to my thick one and said, "Courtney, your beef is bigger than mine. You don't need to eat; you're already obese (极为肥胖的)." Then he walked out laughing. From then on, I was unwilling to wear shorts until I was 30 years old. For the next 15 years, I spent summer after summer roasting in long pants.
But then I met Ragen Chastain. I couldn't believe that this woman who, like myself, weighed almost 300 pounds, was so energetic and happy in her own skin. I listened as she shared her own journey to recovery and self-love. She talked about how amazing our bodies are, simply because of the things they do every day—like breathing, pumping blood to every cell and walking.
Walking! I was suddenly aware or how foolish I'd been for so long. There're people who are born without legs, or who lack properly working legs, or who lose their legs, and I'd been hiding my perfectly strong, healthy, beautiful legs in shame. The next day. I bought three pairs of shorts and a sundress and spent the entire summer letting my legs see the sun and feel the breeze.
The next time anyone comment? On your body in a negative (消极的)way, look them straight in the eye, smile and say. "If what you see bothers you so much, feel free to practise the ancient art of looking somewhere else." That's Ragen's own creation, but I don't think she'll mind if you use it.
