I am joining with Carole and friends with some sobering things this week. Hopefully, thought-provoking – but sobering none the less.
Thing One –
I just want to be healthy and not feel ugly. – Rosemary Hill, IG post
I have been thinking about some posts on IG, especially this one. And, in perfect timing – the latest West Michigan Woman arrived on my doorstep last weekend and Kim Bode’s words jumped off the page at me. And specifically, her answer to the “When do you feel the most beautiful?” question! My head nodded frequently as I read both Romi’s post and Kim Bode’s interview. Why is this such a struggle for most of us me. The answer might be easy, but the reality is so much harder! I wrote these words from the bottom of the WMW article in my journal: Be yourself. Don’t let anyone dictate what beautiful means to you as a daily reminder to ignore the voices – particularly that hyper-critical inner voice.
Thing Two –
So much of the progress that would define the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, came down to the battle for a slice of beach only 6 miles long and 2 miles wide. – Barack Obama, 65th Anniversary of D-Day
Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day. I do not have any grandparents who fought in WWII – both of my grandfathers wanted to enlist to fight neither could because of their health. However, I did have a great uncle who fought on Omaha Beach in Normandy – he was seriously wounded but survived and lived well into his 80’s. There are so many images from D-Day, but Marina Amaral’s colorized images are amazing! And this article from USA Today has some amazing facts about D-Day. I was struck by the number of WWII vets still living and I am profoundly thankful to every single one of the 16 million Americans who served.
Thing Three –
The real danger is if we hear enough lies, we no longer recognize the truth at all. – Chernobyl mini series
I finished the final episode of the Chernobyl mini-series to watch. I enjoyed it tremendously, especially when paired with The Chernobyl Podcast that the Two Peter’s (Peter Sagal and Peter Mazin) host. Watching it made me wonder what Chernobyl and Pripyat look like today and I found this drone video footage. And, if you think that Chernobyl is simply about the disaster that happened – you’d be wrong. It is really about what happens when the government lies, and the people believe those lies despite what they can see with their own eyes. It is both shocking and scary how eager the citizens are to believe the lies – but then we have some first hand experience with people not believing what they see in this country too! But long live the scientists – they are truly the heroes/heroines of this story!
Thank you for three sobering things today. Romi’s post made me cry, as I, too just want to be be healthy and not feel ugly. I can’t say that anyone makes me feel that way, but the older I get, the more “faults” I find with my body. I would much rather remember D Day through Obama’s eyes than the current person, and Chernobyl looks well worth watching. The 40th anniversary of Three Mile Island was this year, but it did not involve the shameless dishonesty of Chernobyl. Lots to think about …
A sobering, but very good post Kat – thanks!
These three things are another reason why defining what is important for ME is going to be my summer break work. I want to head into retirement in the next few years with a sense of self that is life giving.
I’m so glad to find out someone else I know has watched Chernobyl and listened to the podcast! I thought both were incredible. I really didn’t know much about the tragedy at the time (in addition to all the censoring that the Russian government did, I was really too young to understand it), and I find it fascinating now. I’m planning to read some more about it this summer.
Romi’s post was so sad, but it felt familiar to me. For much of my life, I was overweight — not terribly so, but enough that I was self-conscious about it. It didn’t help that my mother was always a stick figure who hardly ever ate but (typical Jewish mother) was always pushing food at us. It wasn’t until relatively recently, when I made diet changes for health reasons, that I lost weight successfully — and I think the reason is because I did it for me, and not because of pressure to look a certain way or be a certain size. Now I’m doing it in a healthy way and becoming stronger in what I hope will prove beneficial to me later in life.
A lot of food for thought…
Feeling healthy is so important, but society is so focused on beauty that it’s hard to accept a body that doesn’t meet the ‘right’ numbers (e.g. a normal body).
I read posts about D-day on several blogs. I’m grateful to all the American soldiers who saved our country (though we were liberated almost a year later).
And that last quote. So true… Sounds like an interesting series to watch.
Beautiful post, Kat. and so much to think about … Marc and I watched something about Chernobyl last summer and I remember thinking it was like a science fiction book, but it’s real!
These are three very meaningful things. I have given a lot of thought lately to body size and body love and I have a lot of work to do in that area.
Sobering and very real. Life isn’t all unicorns and rainbows.