Prose for English

[Penny Royals]

We read 'How it Feels to be a Colored Me' yesterday in English, and had to write our own version of the story for ourselves. Normally, I'd stick this in the Finished Product.... but I need a little help. Would this or would this not be decent enough for a college essay? If so, I want to spiff it up a bit, but I wanted to know first.



How it Feels to be a Fat Me.



I am fat.

That's it. I am not big-boned, I am not heavy. A T-Rex is both of these things, and I am certainly not a T-Rex. Nor am I overweight- implying that there is a certain weight we all must be. These are the immortal words of George Carlin. I am fat, and there's nothing shameful about it.

Some people seem to think there is. Each day I see commercials showing women unhappy until they found a certain miracle pill, as if their lives were fruitless before they magically became skinny. As if having to shop at Torrid somehow made you any less of a person than the one beside you.

And that's more are the social problems I must face. When people see me they write me off. They write me off as stupid, selfish, mean. They write me off as an unhappy person with the lowest amount of self-esteem possible. They write me off as sexually frustrated and easy. When people are my friends, they feel as if everything they say about weight must offend me. None of this is true.

But there are things that do offend me. They try to tell me I'm not fat. That's a flat-out lie. There are also the people who call others fat in the most mean-spirited way, then turn around and be sweet to me as if I am exempt from such taunting. What's just as bad to me is when people my size or bigger stand there and say they are only big-boned. Or of course when every size six thinks they are more skilled in the subject of being fat than I am.

But the worst thing is that I am never taken seriously as a person. Being fat trumps all other parts of me. No one notes that I am short. No one cares that I am a wonderful singer. No one realizes that I can act or write. No one understands that I have feelings. They will sit there and talk to others around me for the same things I am good at, and write me off the second I try to put in my two cents. I am fat, I must not be good at anything but beign funny to watch when I fall.

Does it matter?

I am beautiful. I am at the same level of talent as any girl in this school. I am confident. I am intelligent. I have love in my heart and the love of others. I am fat.

And I don't care.

[makoeyes]

Idk if this is too late. I just now saw this or I would've replied sooner.

I think it's good. I didn't notice any errors or anything and you're good at making me know how you feel.

[Penny Royals]

Thanks. It's less that I wanted to post it as like, an English thing, and more that I just really like it as a general thing.

[makoeyes]

Looking back it over, yes, I think it'd be good enough for a college essay. Just one question: Like, what "type" of essay is this? In my college, all of our essays had to prove a point to some extent. We had a thesis that we were supposed to make a convincing argument for. I think yours does have a thesis (that being fat doesn't matter), and you make an effective point, but that may not be the "point" of your essay.

Sorry for asking this question. All of my college English essays focused on proving our thesis in some way, and my high school and middle schools were virtually useless.

[Penny Royals]

Well, from what I have been told, the college essay is for when you're just now trying to get into college, and they give you a prompt like 'What would you do with your one wild, amazing life?'

[Penny Royals]

I've changed it a little bit...

How it Feels to be a Fat Me.



I am fat.

That's it. I am not big-boned, I am not heavy. A T-Rex is both of these things, and I am certainly not a T-Rex. Nor am I overweight- implying that there is a certain weight we all must be. These are the immortal words of George Carlin. I am fat, and there's nothing shameful about it.

Some people seem to think there is. Each day I see commercials showing women unhappy until they found a certain miracle pill, as if their lives were fruitless before they magically became skinny; as if having to shop at Torrid somehow made them any less of a person than their skinny best friend.

And what's more are the social problems I must face. When people see me they write me off. They write me off as stupid, selfish, mean. They write me off as an unhappy person with the lowest amount of self-esteem possible. They write me off as sexually frustrated and easy. When people are my friends, they feel as if everything they say about weight must offend me. None of this is true.

But there are things that do offend me. They try to tell me I'm not fat. That's a flat-out lie. There are also the people who call others horrible names for being the size they are, then turn around and be sweet to me as if I am exempt from such taunting. What's just as bad to me is when people my size or bigger stand there and say they are only big-boned - or of course when every size six thinks they are more skilled in the subject of being fat than I am.

But the worst thing is that I am never taken seriously as a person. Being fat trumps all other parts of me. No one notes that I am only 4’10. No one cares that I am a wonderful singer, with honors recitals and even a mention at Washington state’s famous 5th Avenue Awards. No one realizes that I can act, draw, write or dance. No one understands that I have feelings. They will sit there and talk to others around me for the same things I am good at, and write me off the second I try to put in my two cents. In a crowd the only glances I get are from people who roll their eyes or snicker – no matter how gorgeous I painted myself to look that morning. Among my peers, I am the tree of a church production’s background – essential, perhaps, but just as easily ignored in favor of the much prettier leading actors and actresses. I am fat; I must not be good at anything but being funny to watch when I fall.

Does it matter?

I am beautiful. I am at the same level of talent as any girl in this school. I am confident. I am intelligent. I have love in my heart and the love of others. I am fat.

And I don't care.

[makoeyes]

(Sorry I haven't replied in so long. Kind of been on hiatus.)

It's still great. Just curious, what do you think of the health concerns? I know that it depends largely on how much fat you have on your body and muscle mass and how good you exercise and all that, and that you don't have to look like a model/movie star to be healthy.