Larger Than Life

I'm not a small girl... Never have been...I came out of my mother with 3 chins. It is something that I've learned  to live with and accept about myself. However, I am an incredibly honest person, and I won't pretend that I don't wish I was  thin. In high school, I was  the girl who was treated as  gender-less. I lived the scene in Eurotrip where the guys tell their  female friend that there were no cute girls in their school...She replies, "I am a girl at your school." ...and then they say," oh, you know... real girls." Even now, the ripple effects of that statement leave my self-esteem balanced precariously like the goldfish was in 'The Cat In the Hat.'  Granted, now I am happily married... However, my husband is quite  the catch. He is a vocalist. You can see him on his youtube channel mcphantom02. He recently sang for a large beauty pageant, and ...as always... the ladies swooned and swooped....For about 3.2 seconds, I considered wearing my tee that reads,"witches be trippin'..okay, maybe I pushed one."
Alas, My role in life, thus far, has been the larger than life female... I say 'larger than life' because I always believed that if my personality was bigger than my butt, people would stare at that instead. Doing this has taught me a few lessons about life that every person...not just girls...every person should know:
1. People do judge you by how you look. 
While it's true they shouldn't, I have never met anyone who doesn't look at a person and make some sort of assessment. The better, more moral people of this world will not allow this first judgement to taint their permanent view of you, but the initial judgement is there. It's human nature. If you want people to treat you as an upstanding citizen, then you better dress the part.
2. Looks aren't everything.
Think about it. In Fifty years, we will all be old and wrinkly (or look like Joan Rivers...which could be worse, I think.) If you want to grow old with someone, then find someone whose personality doesn't grate on your nerves like sandpaper on your face. It has been my experience  that, while they didn't necessarily want to date me, most people wanted  to be around me and my big, bold personality. It should at least get you invited to the parties where you could meet someone who finds you endearing. (It can happen). Also, I found out later that more people wanted to date me than I ever realized. People care too much about what other people think...especially in high school.
3.Fake it until you make it.
 Both laughter and smiling have curious side effects. Even if you fake them, they will soon become genuine. Try it. Walk into a room and smile at someone. It doesn't have to be real..soon you won't have to try. Laugh at a joke that's not really funny, others will laugh, too, and soon you are laughing for real.  Most people don't realize that confidence is the same. People react to you. If you fake confidence, people don't know it is fake. They react positively to confidence, and soon, you will actually be more confident.

Life isn't often fair. Still, I have learned that growth comes from adversity. The best personalities come from those who were forced to develop them. I grew humor as a defense mechanism. People couldn't make fun of my fat if my joke was better than theirs, and insults came less frequently when people lived in fear of a witty retort. You can't choose the life you are dealt, only the way you play the cards. Make it a great game, my friend.