Why So Thin?

I keep getting Facebook ads about how Rachael Ray has lost X number of pounds or whatnot. This dredges up a long-standing pet peeve of mine regarding television chefs: "Never trust a thin chef." I always trusted Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali because I could see that they were indeed enjoying their own food. And what about Wolfgang Puck? Probably not. He may be one of those rare individuals who have an "inner Porkins" and can eat three times the amount I can and not gain any weight, but I doubt it. Then Rachael Ray came along, and I could tell she liked to eat, but she was young and pretty, and for some reason a young, pretty, fat girl is worthy of ridicule in the eyes of the public. So she buckled to public opinion and lost weight, most likely by denying herself the food she previously enjoyed.

The idea of "image" is one which I have tried for decades to eradicate in the minds of those who cross my path. Those of you who know me outside of the Internet know just how much effort I put into my appearance: as little as possible. I gave up wearing makeup years ago. I buy clothes based on a comfortable fit and colors which please me. My hair has two styles: up and down. Image is nothing more than a mask. I go to work or the store or the mall and I see a lot of people trying to project "a look," a style of dress and behavior which conforms to a particular social more, and all it projects to me is a lot of people pretending to be something they are not. Image covers up identity, the essence of a true person. My minimalist grooming proves repellent to some, but there are surprisingly many people who see past my "body image" and perceive the "real me." My body is like any other object in my life: nothing more than a tool to accomplish my twin goals of intellectual and spiritual enlightenment. I do my best to keep it in good working order by eating a balanced diet, stretching, exercising, taking dietary supplements to mitigate joint deterioration, and bathing regularly. I do this in the same way that I dust my computer, or wash my clothes, or water my garden.

Who I am is not my body. Like Walt Whitman said, I am not contained between my hat and boots. There are high and subtle layers to my self which I make no effort to hide, and most people either notice that rather than my physical artifact, or ignore me altogether. I'm fine with either, and I'm trying to teach that attitude to the world. If more people would break out of the prison which is image, the human species would become truly great.