1st
You said it Girl!!!
“As women, we’re inundated every day with the idea that our bodies exist for other people- when we’re catcalled on the street, when coworkers have entire conversations with our breasts rather than our faces, when we’re groped on the subway. We’re prudes if we don’t let enough people access our bodies; sluts if we allow too many people to access our bodies. Billboards display women in various states of undress, wearing products, endorsing products, as products. Movies and TV we watch invite us to look at women from the perspective of the male gaze. I’m not an expert by any means, but this seems harmful to the way we see ourselves and the way we take care of ourselves. Maybe we should stop letting those things dictate how we see our bodies and start seeing our bodies as instruments of power rather than smorgasbords for others to feast on. Your body isn’t a passive painting or a photograph, your body is a tool.
I don’t mean to get all cheerleadery and Oprah-tastic all over your face here and suggest that everyone run a marathon, as we’re all different; some people aren’t built to run, just as I’m not built to go rock climbing or dance ballet. There’s merit in finding something-anything- to do with your body that you love, and loving when your body is able to do it. And there shouldn’t be any reluctance to talk about choosing to be physically active, because enjoying your own physical strength doesn’t have to be viewed as subscribing to patriarchal notions of femininity.”
