An Angry Rant

"It's 2025, and we don't talk about people's bodies." This is my go-to line. Whether it's to remind my in-laws to nix the commentary about an actress while we're watching the Oscars, or to tell someone to fuck off in a roundabout way, if they're inquiring about my own weight loss- this is a belief that's very important to me, and I consider it my sacred duty to impart this wisdom to my children. This is not the 90s, and we don't need to dissect other people's appearances. Mind your own business.

I had a friend who lost a lot of weight because she was extremely sick. Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her beyond some combination of IBS and pelvic floor issues. Throw some food allergies and inflammation issues into the mix, and she was struggling to both eat, and use the toilet. She was utterly miserable, and super anxious. And the more anxious she became, the worse her issues got. It was like a snake eating its tail. She told me one day that she was in so much pain, she had a sudden impulse to drive her car into a tree. It was a terrible time, so I tried to be supportive and spend time with her, however I could. One day we were at Costco together, and we ran into a mutual friend. That friend hadn't seen her and was like- "Oh my god! You look amazing. What are you doing?" Soooo awkward- cuz... "Actually, I've been really sick." (Not that it's any of your business.) Can you imagine putting your foot in your mouth like that!? "Well, it's the cancer, turns out it's great for the diet!"

Growth vs Fixed Mindset

I mentioned that I would write a post about "the weight of other's expectations." But what I really meant was that I would write a post about the fate of GT (gifted and talented program) kids from the 90s- and why we're all depressed, have anxiety (or late diagnosed ADHD, or whatever your particular constellation of mental disorders happen to be.) I often joke that as a child I was a regular Doogie Howser, M.D. There's a meme that says- going as Former Gifted Child for Halloween, and the whole costume is just gonna be people asking- "What are you supposed to be?" And me saying- "I was supposed to be a lot of things..."

So the real question is- what happened to all of us!? Well, we're either doctors or burned-out disappointments, there's no in-between. When did things go awry? (Not that there's anything wrong with a career as a flight attendant- it's a perfectly respectable job that merely requires a high school diploma.) But when exactly did my big brain just shrivel up and die- never to accomplish any of the great tasks expected of me? My third grade teacher told my mom I was going to graduate as valedictorian (and that didn't happen- so this shit was already going awry by high school, clearly.) My friends who signed my high school yearbook expected to "see me performing on Broadway."