(no subject)
Yesterday I wrote a blog on myspace and today my Dad responded to it.
This is what I wrote:
Ok, so us girls all know the style right now. The shirts aren't fitted. They sorta just hang there. There is no waist line and they're sorta long almost like dresses. Anyway, I'm wearing one of these shirts today (the same one I was wearing at the Sangria party Saturday night if you were there and saw me). I went to my parent's house on my lunch break today to show my Mom my new hair and see this angel she found that we're getting tattooed. I was in the kitchen and my Dad walks in and this is how it went:
Dad: You pregnant?
Me: *Mouth drops.* No. Dad, this is the style of clothes right now.
Mom: Gary, are you pregnant?
Me: *Patting my Dad's belly* Yeah, you pregnant?
Dad: And you have purple in your hair.
Me: Yep.
Dad: Walks over to microwave and proceeds to heat up his lunch.
I left to go back to work a few minutes after that and as soon as I got in the car I texted Kelli and Chris telling them because when someone asks you if you're pregnant you need AT LEAST two people to tell you they're crazy for saying it.
Kelli gave the perfect girl response: "What? Why did he say that?! You just don't say that even to pregnant girls. You don't look pregnant. Your hair alone should have you feeling hot."
And Chris gave the perfect boy response: "What? Why?! I was thinking just the other day you were losing weight."
Even if it's not true it's what I needed to hear.
I think we can all learn a lesson here today...N-EVER ask someone if they're pregnant. Even if you're just poking fun at their clothes. And especially if said person has just joined a gym to get in shape. It's not good for the self esteem.
And this is what my Dad wrote:
My Dear Beautiful Daughter,
This is your father replying under your mother's MySpace account. I'm sitting here trying to decide how to best respond for the maximum damage control, now that your friends think I'm an insensitive jerk. I could explain that I'm clearly out of the loop on current fashion. Or, I could explain that it was a poor attempt at spontaneous humor. I could blame it on old age, or (for those who know my Dad) that the apple has fallen too close to the tree. Probably the best thing is to not offer excuses (ooops, too late) and keep it simple. I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I truly believe you are a beautiful person inside and out.
My next comments probably won't win any friends, but I feel compelled to say this. For generations, the self-image of too many men has been driven by their work/career. Likewise, the self-image of too many women has been driven by their physical appearance. There is a saying that no man ever wished on his deathbed that he had spent more time at work. Wouldn't it be a shame if a woman wished on her deathbed that she had spent more time working on her waist measurement? Is our work important? Sure, to a degree. Is a healthy waist line important? Sure, to a degree. But not to the degree that either should define who we are or how we feel about ourselves.
Think about this. Can you think of anyone who you simply can't tolerate because of their physical size? I would bet probably not. Can you think of anyone who you can't tolerate because of their character? For me, the answer is - sure, where does the line begin? So, in the grand scheme of things, which is more important? Should we measure our self-worth by our waistlines or by our good character?
I'll get off my soap-box and try to practice what I preach.
Love you, love you, love you.
This is what I wrote:
Ok, so us girls all know the style right now. The shirts aren't fitted. They sorta just hang there. There is no waist line and they're sorta long almost like dresses. Anyway, I'm wearing one of these shirts today (the same one I was wearing at the Sangria party Saturday night if you were there and saw me). I went to my parent's house on my lunch break today to show my Mom my new hair and see this angel she found that we're getting tattooed. I was in the kitchen and my Dad walks in and this is how it went:
Dad: You pregnant?
Me: *Mouth drops.* No. Dad, this is the style of clothes right now.
Mom: Gary, are you pregnant?
Me: *Patting my Dad's belly* Yeah, you pregnant?
Dad: And you have purple in your hair.
Me: Yep.
Dad: Walks over to microwave and proceeds to heat up his lunch.
I left to go back to work a few minutes after that and as soon as I got in the car I texted Kelli and Chris telling them because when someone asks you if you're pregnant you need AT LEAST two people to tell you they're crazy for saying it.
Kelli gave the perfect girl response: "What? Why did he say that?! You just don't say that even to pregnant girls. You don't look pregnant. Your hair alone should have you feeling hot."
And Chris gave the perfect boy response: "What? Why?! I was thinking just the other day you were losing weight."
Even if it's not true it's what I needed to hear.
I think we can all learn a lesson here today...N-EVER ask someone if they're pregnant. Even if you're just poking fun at their clothes. And especially if said person has just joined a gym to get in shape. It's not good for the self esteem.
And this is what my Dad wrote:
My Dear Beautiful Daughter,
This is your father replying under your mother's MySpace account. I'm sitting here trying to decide how to best respond for the maximum damage control, now that your friends think I'm an insensitive jerk. I could explain that I'm clearly out of the loop on current fashion. Or, I could explain that it was a poor attempt at spontaneous humor. I could blame it on old age, or (for those who know my Dad) that the apple has fallen too close to the tree. Probably the best thing is to not offer excuses (ooops, too late) and keep it simple. I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I truly believe you are a beautiful person inside and out.
My next comments probably won't win any friends, but I feel compelled to say this. For generations, the self-image of too many men has been driven by their work/career. Likewise, the self-image of too many women has been driven by their physical appearance. There is a saying that no man ever wished on his deathbed that he had spent more time at work. Wouldn't it be a shame if a woman wished on her deathbed that she had spent more time working on her waist measurement? Is our work important? Sure, to a degree. Is a healthy waist line important? Sure, to a degree. But not to the degree that either should define who we are or how we feel about ourselves.
Think about this. Can you think of anyone who you simply can't tolerate because of their physical size? I would bet probably not. Can you think of anyone who you can't tolerate because of their character? For me, the answer is - sure, where does the line begin? So, in the grand scheme of things, which is more important? Should we measure our self-worth by our waistlines or by our good character?
I'll get off my soap-box and try to practice what I preach.
Love you, love you, love you.