Honor Him

We often forget the grand task our fathers are burdened to bear. They can only show strength - as it's unforgivable for the head of household to appear weak - but be conscious and empathetic when we cry. Lest we not forget that our fathers came home with sore backs and tired feet from working enough to keep us warm and sheltered.

When your mother coddled and protected you, your father nurtured your sense of independence and survival.

When your mother insisted you join teams and clubs, your father worked tirelessly to provide the means for you.

When your mother gave you a seed and helped you cultivate it and watch it grow, your father taught you to take it by its stalk and tear it down and use it to nourish one thousand other things.

Your mother taught you to carry peace in your body to settle the unruly. Your father taught you to put up with bvll$h!t it only once.

He is the gear that shifts you from resolution to determination. You cannot make your own family without carrying the weight and the honor of his name. And you can't look in a mirror and not see him looking back, assessing his work.

Your father granted you shelter.

Conditioned your strength.

Made you fearless.

Except for spiders.

Rooted your stability.

Demanded your integrity.

Made you better.

Honor Him.

- Michelle Russell

"Here Comes the Fat Chick"

That's the look I get when entering the gate area at any given airport.

Ugh. The eyerolls. The looks of disdain.

There should be a giant red sticky note on my airline ticket: "TWF"

Traveling While Fat. 

Cue the horror movie music.

I'll venture anywhere for a quick swim in a blue ocean, but I can't get there without experiencing some form of prejudice based on my size. And so my vacation quests are typically stunted by the thought of people judging the way I look in a bathing suit.

Or in an airplane seat.

Or in baggage claim.

It's why I mentally check off where all the seat pockets are in relation to what I'll be using in-flight, like my Kindle Fire and water bottle. Whatever it takes to avoid disturbing my neighbor further. 

It's also the reason I use the airport restrooms several times before a flight, even if I don't have to go. And if I get the urge during the flight, I hold it...no matter how long the duration.

And so Spirit Airlines is probably the best bet for those of us who are larger in size. Sure, the flight attendants sleep for the entire flight, and the term "customer service" gets the same treatment as the term "terrorism", but the giant seats in the front row are sure to accommodate anyone my size. 

Today, I watched two flight attendants play Russian roulette with the emotions of a large man who sat next to me. I'm still not clear on why he didn't "fit"in the seat...he looked fine to me...but sometimes the seatbelts are less than generous. Whatever the reason, the attendants loudly proclaimed that he would have to sit in two seats in a row further back. This misplaced the two original seat holders, and their grumbles and shuffling to their new seats caused even more commotion and attention. 

And if you wear any size below a woman's size 18, you have no idea what I'm talking about and can't relate.

And that's okay. Because I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone.

Except maybe my ex. But he deserves it.

What I Bought
Spare yourself a bit of humiliation: Airline Seatbelt Extenders

Traveling Amidst the American Political Saga and our Evolving Social Climate

I've taken a few quick trips to nearby locales recently. I traveled solo, as typical, anxious for the opportunity to meet new friends with interesting stories and backgrounds. And I've noticed something odd lately...maybe you have, too...

We talk to each other differently.

I mean to say that how we interact with strangers who we may have formerly approached apprehensively...well, it's all changed.

And I have a sneaking suspicion that our current state of political affairs has a lot to do with it.

We have an outspoken, often foot-in-mouth but at-least-he's-honest non-politician running against the first female front runner for the Executive Office of the President of the United States. An office that is currently held by the first African American family to receive it.

Regarding the former contestant, I'm positive that his sardonic nature and often incredibly insensitive tone are indirectly related to the influx of Caucasian men and women, also on vacation with their families, who approach me (a plus sized African American female) plainly and without the aforementioned apprehension, simply for general conversation.

Plainly, I think the race for President has made us more comfortable with one another. We're not as timid about approaching someone, even if we suspect they live a completely different lifestyle than we do. We're not afraid to voice our opinions to strangers. And that makes me happy.

That's the positive influence our presidential candidates have unknowingly bestowed upon us. We're more comfortable expressing ourselves to people of other cultures and ethnicities.

But here's the negative impact. We're more comfortable expressing ourselves to people of other cultures and ethnicities...

Sigh.