Love Your Sexy Body

I just found out that this is National Love Your Body Week. Above is a cool poster that I found
on the University of Texas website.



This is the one at UNCA. It's by Byron Brown:

I think I like the one above, too.

For me, this week is more than just great poster designs. For me, it's more than the activities that college campuses are hosting (forums on eating disorders, art shows depicting all different body types, dances, lectures, throw away the scale parties...).

For me, like for many others, this week needs to happen all of the time. My long and tedious story involves more than fat grams, control, and the size of my jeans. I can't teach anyone anything about it, but I can tell my story and hope that no one follows my self-destructive obsessions. I can introduce people to beautiful ways to know their bodies-- the beauty of climbing and swimming without worrying about harness or bathing suit sizes.

Adventuring and risk saved me from my own control. I can't bring myself to give the advice, generalizations, and wishes for self-love that seem so cliche and blah. Instead, here is a poem by Lucille Clifton:

Homage to My Hips

these hips are big hips

they need space to move around in.

they don’t fit into little petty places.

these hips are free hips.

they don’t like to be held back.

these hips have never been enslaved,

they go where they want to go

they do what they want to do.

these hips are mighty hips.

these hips are magic hips.

i have known them

to put a spell on a man

and spin him like a top!

........................................................................................................................................

Bless your sexy body-------------------