Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The impact of a comment!

....that is how I feel at the moment. There is a time and a place, good friends can tell you things from their gut, and immediate family do venture in the "no comment" zone from time to time, but when you hear a comment directly to your face from a stranger - a complete stranger -  oh, the hurt - the pain....wondering why they just could not have kept it inside their head. Why did they have to say it outloud?

I am sure some of you might have read it in the paper, seen it on the websites or what not and I knew the blog world would be a buzz with it this morning. So, here is my two cents on the matter - take it or leave it - just my thoughts. Watching Good Morning American this morning I listened to this....

The story about the die-hard fan of the American Idol show. She finally got tickets to see a performance. She was so excited about going, went last week with a group of friends, got there early enough to sit in the front row. But, alas, it was not meant to be. Yes, they were informed that part of her group would have to sit in different rows, but what she said happened next just floored me. She was told she was too "big" to sit in the front row. Not just one person said something outloud, but in her recounting the story on GMA this morning, she said that Two people said something.

Now, I am a big person, bigger then I have been in years (well, actually getting smaller by the day - woo hoo) - but I have never experienced some of the things that overweight people may have experienced. Maybe I do my best to avoid situations where someone might say something and fear flying for the sure fact that I might have to purchase a second seat (has never happened, but my nerves get into a ball just putting on that seatbelt). How do you react to a comment from a stranger? How in the world can you not keep your comment to yourself? What made that usher say what he said for all to hear?

It took great courage for this girl to go on GMA this morning. I don't really think she is that heavy or big for those comments to be valid, but this is a TV show and they want to have the right "fit" for the cameras. Heck, I can understand the one color shirts that Oprah requests of her guests, but to move someone to another row, away from the camera or to avoid the "spotlight" is unacceptable. I can't stand the way the media has to conform to the latest and greatest survey says about what "TV Land" wants to see on the screen.

I wonder what people are thinking about me when I am walking down the street or weeding my garden with the shirt riding up my back as I stoop down, if my haircut is not attractive, is my nose too big for my face...just wondering.....and glad that they keep their comments inside their heads.....sigh....

The next time you decide to make a comment OUTLOUD for all to hear, please take a moment, think what impact that might have on that person !! Thanks for reading.........enjoy the rest of your day!!

Staying MOtivated

4 comments:

Dawn said...

Oh indeed. I have a few 'fat comment' hurts - I bet every one of us has a hurt we are nursing that we haven't forgotten. Actually my worst ever comment , the one that hurt most wasn't about my weight. When my daughter was a newborn she had neurosurgery ( terrifying but 100% good now) and she was badly bruised and even a little bonnet didn't hide it and a stranger came up to me and said 'Your baby looks terrible, did you drop her?' Honestly I can laugh at such an idiotic thing now but at the time, when you're all tied up with trying to be a good mother...So yes, I totally agree...why don't people keep their opinions silent..as my Mum used to say..'If you don't have anything good to say, don't speak'
Dawn

ashleysweigh said...

Wow, I can't believe that happened.

I can't believe people in the world can be so cruel and careless of other people feelings, ugh! It makes me sick.

Thank you for standing up and saying something about it!

Mer and Mo said...

I work with kids and I teach them about the inside voice and the outside voice. Inside voice are things that only yourself hears and outside voice is the are the things we say outloud to others. Then, I explain the filter between the inside and outside voice that we keep certain comments to ourselves in order to keep up the relationship with others. I always remind students to use your filter when making a comment.
Unfortunately, society has lost its common courtesy and respect for others and the media buys into it because bad manners and drama sells.
Hopefully, by their mistake we can all learn how to treat others with more kindness.
Thanks for saying something about this topic!
BE KIND!
BE COURTEOUS!
BE HELPFUL!
USE YOUR "FILTER" AND SMILE!
Always,
Mer

Shannon said...

Great post!