Wow, I just had the rudest thing said to me and I think the easiest way for me to get over it and move on with my day would be to write about it. 

A friend of mine invited me to her gorgeous home in Edgewood on this sunny day to attend a card-making class by Christine David.  I only knew three out of the 22+ people there, so I tried to be social, friendly, and polite to everyone.  Since I love to make cards, I volunteered to help some of the ladies that needed assistance.

I sat by a lady who had served me lemonade earlier (we’ll call her Jan because I don’t recall her name), and engaged in friendly small talk.  My friend invited me to take a tour of her elegant home so I could see her craft room.  When I came back downstairs to grab my things and go, I politely said, “Well, it’s been fun crafting with you ladies!  Have a great day!” to the women at one of the tables.  Jan looked up and said to me, “Can I ask you a question?”  I had no idea where this was going, so I said, “Uh, sure!”  She paused for a moment before asking me, “How do you stay so skinny?”  I do not like fielding awkward questions like this because there is never a right answer.  I hesitated and said, “Well, look at my parents.  They’re slim, so I guess it’s… hereditary?”  I also started to explain I haven’t had any children and she interrupted me to say, “You’d better get out of this room before I come at you with a kitchen knife!!!”

Wow.  How rude.  I guess she was trying to demonstrate her jealousy, but really… I don’t know her, and I thought that was the wrong thing to say to me.  How is that going to benefit anyone?!  So I rushed out of there as I overheard women murmuring about my body.

I thought I was over getting teased about that stuff.  As a kid and through my early twenties, I was told I was so skinny I could hoola-hoop with a Cheerio, walk through a closed door (where the door meets the jam), or was a skeleton with skin stretched over it (really, people!?).  Kids are so mean.  People said they hated me because I was a stick, twig, or skinny girl.  Wow, way to boost someone’s self-esteem!  The overweight people are teased just as much as the slender people.

But back to today… what could I have said differently?  Is there an answer that would not have resulted in my life being pseudo-threatened?  Should I have explained that I only eat when I am hungry (lunch, dinner & sometimes a second small dinner)?  Should I have told her I am not really skinny like I used to be and I think I’m just “regular” now?  Should I have said I used to count my calories and I have a good idea of what a portion should be?  No, I don’t think anything would have made her happy.  She was a larger person, and I don’t think I could have offered her any magic secret that would help anyone easily shed pounds.  Today I am wearing layers and my body is hidden beneath a long bulky cardigan, so I have no idea why she thought I was so skinny.

Anyway, I just had to clear that off my chest so I can go back to the great day I was having!  If you read this, then thanks for letting me vent.  And please don’t think I am bragging, because I’m not.  I’m just your average-sized/shaped person who has feelings, too.