OK, so I'm chatting with my stepmother.
We... well we arent the best of friends, for various reasons I wont get into here, but during this conversation I felt were were having a real connection, actually managing to have a discussion about things we were passionate about and sharing our opinions, telling funny stories. Unfortunately the next day my brother takes me aside and says that last night I offended her and could I avoid the topic in future.
What topic, I ask?
The fat acceptance thing. She didnt like you mentoning it, like its a slur on her size or something.
...We talked about many things, including people wearing fur and vegetarianism, racism, political parties ect and I had no idea I had offended her as I didnt mention her size at any point. I mentioned only MY personal feelings about fat acceptance as a movement.
I have to admit that it irritated me as making self deprecating jokes about my size or talking about needing to lose some weight (not much though, I love being big!) has never got a negative reaction, so only talking about my weight in a positive, accepting light has made her feel so bad about herself she felt the need to ask my brother to keep me off the subject.
I also wondered if anyone else has had other large men or women react badly to their acceptance of themselves, and what they think the reason might be.
It seems a shame that by acting and behaving like the confident and outgoing person I have only recently learned to be, I can make others angry or upset.
We... well we arent the best of friends, for various reasons I wont get into here, but during this conversation I felt were were having a real connection, actually managing to have a discussion about things we were passionate about and sharing our opinions, telling funny stories. Unfortunately the next day my brother takes me aside and says that last night I offended her and could I avoid the topic in future.
What topic, I ask?
The fat acceptance thing. She didnt like you mentoning it, like its a slur on her size or something.
...We talked about many things, including people wearing fur and vegetarianism, racism, political parties ect and I had no idea I had offended her as I didnt mention her size at any point. I mentioned only MY personal feelings about fat acceptance as a movement.
I have to admit that it irritated me as making self deprecating jokes about my size or talking about needing to lose some weight (not much though, I love being big!) has never got a negative reaction, so only talking about my weight in a positive, accepting light has made her feel so bad about herself she felt the need to ask my brother to keep me off the subject.
I also wondered if anyone else has had other large men or women react badly to their acceptance of themselves, and what they think the reason might be.
It seems a shame that by acting and behaving like the confident and outgoing person I have only recently learned to be, I can make others angry or upset.
