My good friend and sister Menopause Goddess, Saskia, sent me this wonderful email that is currently circulating the web. It’s a must-read and worth reading again if you have seen it.
“Recently, in a large city in France, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym.
It said, “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”
A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.
To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans. They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.
Mermaids don’t exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Just look at them … where is IT? Therefore, they don’t have kids either. Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?
The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.
P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.
With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!”
Let me just say for the record, I’m proud to be a whale. Lady Leviathan – that’s my new self image and I’m feelin’ good about it! Now if I could just learn to sing…
Having had an issue with weight most of my life …. all I can say is you go girl…The man I live with cannot understand why I don’t look like his friends 25 year old girlfriend … who at best is a vapid narcissit … and 10 years younger than my son… … although he firmley believes he deserves this sort of body on me.. … he can’t understand why this is not my main priority in life…I told him to grow his hair back … and we would talk about it..
LOve that comment! Vapid Narcissit! That is truly descriptive, and I feel your pain. I know that type. They say, always run, not walk, from a Narcissist. Very wise.
This post also reminds me of a comic posted in a rural ER unit I worked at in Kauai in the late 80’s, where there was nothing but a few hotel restaurants…Ma and Pa had to figure out how to act…..The lady and man were seated at a supposed hotel restaurant table, she with her hair in large hair rollers, him, in boxer shorts and a tank top type t-shirt….with his chest hair zinging, beard unshaved, and the caption is “Gee, why don’t you dress up for me anymore….?” isn’t that the truth?
THEY expect YOU to supply all the visuals….ahem…We Goddesses are designed, if necessary, to survive in a desert, with all parts and actions needed to make this happen. Which is not to say this is desirable….it is much better not to be left in the desert to survive alone…..
But, yes, survive we will, if we have to.
If our men decide that we are whales not mermaids, and they want mermaids, let them starve.
being happy and healthy in your own body makes the best statement, fashion your own statement
I believe as that astute lady said, being a whale is very rewarding. Whales are happy and live life to be fullest. Hooray for whales!
funny you should have this blog about the beauty of being a whale. Last Sunday we just took all the neighborhood kids we could find to go whale watching and see the beautiful creatures! I can honestly say for all of us, we want to be whales!
Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aloha ladies,
I’m waving my flipper at you all!
being happy and healthy in your own body makes the best statement, fashion your own statement