If you could change a part(s) of your body, what would it be?

[Weird Harold]

I want the waistline I had in High School back. Actually, the waistline I had from high school until the week before my 35th birthday, when 'middle-age-spread' hit me.

 

[Whispersecret]

(Prompted by Nicole's discussion of cock size.)

Let's pretend the Body Fairy came along and said she would change any part of your body that you wanted. What would you change?

I'd wish to be taller. For a long time I was convinced that I didn't mind being short (4'10.5"), but frankly, I do. I despise short jokes and it doesn't help that petite clothes are usually designed for old ladies.

Because I have low self esteem as far as my appearance is concerned, there are a ton of other things I'd alter, but the Fairy is only granting one wish per person.

What would your wish be?

 

[STEVE]

i would ask her to change my nose, to have a
straight one would be nice, after all the years with a bent one, due to having it broken so many times when younger,(cosmetic is out, seen the sisterin law after she had it done)

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I'm sorry, I'm still too freaked out by the phrase "Body Fairy" to play.

 

[MunchinMark]

Can't think of anything. I actually like me.
I am by no means an Adonis or anything, but I'm happy with the way I look.

 

[Neoapril]

LOL @ DCL! Body Fairy, huh?

I would love to have a smaller butt and thigh area! Ah, to fit into a size 5 again! Those were the days. How many other women are unhappy with that area of their bodies? Too bad there's only one wish.

 

[Sammyjo]

Oh DCL, without you today, my life would be dull....(Body Fairy does have a somewhat disheartening ring, doesn't it?)

I think I would opt for less tummy. I have done EVERYTHING despite surgery, and looking at my aunt, I don't think it will do much good. I've dieted, walked, sit-ups, aerobics, you name it, I've done it. The baby fat will not go away. And by baby fat I mean the stuff I put on when I had my baby, not the "oh she's not fat, she will lose her baby fat when she hits puberty".

I actually think the short jokes are cute (I'm 4' 11" - I can beat you up WS - LOL)

And stop with the low self-esteem. You are great!! Don't let anyone tell you differently.

SJ

 

[Jenne64]

I'm with you on this one MM. That's one of the few good things about getting older you finally begin to appreciate what bits you have got-))
The hard part is hanging onto them before they start to sag, drop off or whatever once you actually realise that they are ok anyway!

Accept yourself for who you are and not what you think you ought to be or worse still what someone else tells you should be!!

Jenne

 

[Felix]

I'm still mulling over what one I would change about myself -- no obvious candidates have jumped ahead of the pack yet.

To amuse you in the mean time, I asked my girlfriend what she would change. Here's her response:

She too is on the petite side (a monstrous 5' 1 3/4"), and often notes that life would be easier if she were bigger (she has to jump up and down to make a scale read triple-digit pounds). "Bigger" in this case is conveniently translated into "taller," but in truth I suspect that she is motivated less by reaching the second shelf than by fitting a bit better into a world designed for larger people. As it stands now, shopping with her can be quite simple -- walk into a store and ask to see the smallest item they carry, then walk out laughing because it would make a fine tent for three of her. The byzantine machinations of women's wardrobe sizing don't help either. Particularly annoying is the trend towards "downsizing" the sizes (e.g., marking a "true" 8 as a 6 in an attempt to facilitate the fantasy the bodies don't change); it's hard enough finding the right fit without looking for negative dress sizes. If she were just a notch larger, she could kiss goodbye the struggle to find clothes that don't have Pokemon on them.

But that's not what she chose.

We then began to talk about other alternatives, but she was reluctant to volunteer the parts that made her insecure. After some discussion, we decided that things that could reasonably be addressed by a normal workout routine were not worthy of the Body Fairy's attention. Since her basic shape is shapely indeed, she therefore passed on any of the standard trouble spots.

No, her choice was something else entirely. She wants a tan.

My girlfriend is of mixed Norwegian and Irish descent, and has inherited the fair, freckled complexion that one might expect to result. Her freckles are small and light (not the Pippi Longstocking type at all), and her skin is so smooth and delicate that she is usually mistaken for someone a decade younger. This is fine for irritating other women, but it doesn't do much for melanin production.

When all is said and done, it isn't the freckles or even the lousy tans that bother her. The problem is that she burns quite easily, and that's a real concern here at the beach in Southern California. She loves warmth and sunshine, but now that it's spring, we can't have lunch outside without her getting toasted. I suppose that we should all be more careful about UV exposure, but she hates even the lightweight, oil-free sunscreen for anything other than actual beach time, and refuses to wear hats. She has reluctantly acceded to the necessity of getting gooped, but she is far from pleased.

And there's our winner -- not what I would have expected, and moderately anxiety-free. A miracle!

Felix

[This message has been edited by felix (edited 05-24-2000).]

 

[Beebeeblue]

Well, being the selfconcious person I am at times, although if any of you met me youd never know it, Id like to change 2 things.

My boobs (Im not explaning)
My Skin I have a condition called eczema, and everytime I break out I hear, "WHat happened to your arm?" And dont expect some of these hillbillies to understand a genetic allergic condition. I just tell them its my nerves. And I can understand the reply on the tan thing. I have Irish here too, but I have gotten a slight tan going. But the Freckles...Lord, I should change my name..

 

[Skitten]

From the body fairy I would like smaller thighs of course and a smaller ass. And of course bigger breasts. If we could have more than one wish if we only get one I would opt for the smaller thigh definetely.

 

[Guest]

oh gee, poor felix, that sounds so terrible for his girlfriend!!

 

[Jade]

[

Originally posted by beebeeblue:
My Skin I have a condition called eczema, and everytime I break out I hear, "WHat happened to your arm?" ..

BB... my hubbie has that too and if he doesn't apply the special cortizone rx daily, people don't even have the politeness to ask that question... they just outright stare.

Body fairy..... PULEEZE help the lower stomach to stop pooching out like that!! (damn uterus!)

~Jade

 

[Earthgoddess]

hmm- I want to be taller- I am 5'4" and if I were 5"10 my body would all fit. I have long legs and broad shoulders so they look a tad funny on a short person,well not funny just elven,or hobbit-like. At least my feet aren't hobbit hairy. I would love to be a big strapping bonny Irish girl,and my hubby agrees(MMRRRRRRRW-from hubby). Its' nice that he chose the same thing-although he is voting for me to be 6'.

 

[Svedish_Chef]

Ummm the part that noone else seems to want... apart from that nothing. Its taken me 10 years for it all to fall into place I'm not giving it up for no man! And women better have a damn good reason too...

da Chef

 

[CreamyLady]

Eyesight. I'd opt for perfect eyesight, instead of nearsightedness, though it can be cool on a rainy night, looking at the lights . . .

As for the rest of me, I've lived in this body, for good or ill, 47 years . . . it's healthy, likes sex, good food, and a good laugh.

Nah. Just the eyesight part.

 

[Jade]

Originally posted by CreamyLady:
Eyesight. I'd opt for perfect eyesight

Creamy lady... hazzah!!!
I would love to toss my contacts/glasses away!

Chef... I hate to sound naive here, but...what the f#$#??

~Jade

 

[CreamyLady]

Originally posted by Jade:
I would love to toss my contacts/glasses away!

Me, too. I did manage to accidentally throw away my glasses once. I wonder if there was some deeper meaning in that . . .

 

[Felix]

Originally posted by cutiepie:
oh gee, poor felix, that sounds so terrible for his girlfriend!!

Perhaps you have heard of the story of Tantalus, who was condemned by the gods to stand for all eternity under a fruit tree in neck-deep water. Every time he tried to reach a piece of fruit, the tree would yank it away; every time he bent to drink, the waters would recede.

There is another story that says that hell really isn't such a bad place. In fact, you can even see heaven from there -- but no matter how you try, you can never get there.

You think my girlfriend's choice to be a frivolous one, and hers perhaps a spoiled soul. You may be right in at least one respect -- in the course of the exercise, I realized just how blessed she is, and how fortunate I am to share her life.

Yet consider this -- for a person whose joy in life is to sip like a flower from the nectar of the sun, who hears its regal importuning through every window and door, who yearns to surrender to its gentle joyous suffuse -- for such a person, is it not a sorrow most piquant to be forever denied her solace?

It is no great feat to find those with burdens greater than our own. Joyous would be the day that a drop of faerie magic could restore sight to the blind, or raise the cripple from his chair. Consider my wish consigned to those who need it far more than I, whose life has been so enriched.

 

[Hurley International]

My face, i am one ugly fucker up close so I would change my face to look better

 

[Svedish_Chef]

Originally posted by Jade:

Chef... I hate to sound naive here, but...what the f#$#??

~Jade

Noone in RL likes my long hair, and I'm still growing although I have now reached the height I was after... I'm now happy with myself as for everyone else, f#$# them.

da Chef

 

[Jade]

Originally posted by felix:


You think my girlfriend's choice to be a frivolous one

I don't think that at all (are body fairies that picky?).... sorry if you got that idea!!

But, now that you mention it, if we are going to be shallow...
I was in actuality sarcasticcally referring to the earlier part to the post where you went on and on describing her "petiteness" as if it were some sort of horrendous crisis, when really, tons of men fantasize and would LOVE the opportunity to brag about having a teeny tiny little woman.

This would have been fine if you could have done it without insulting women who wear normal sizes.. what was it you said again? ... "walk into a store and ask to see the smallest item they carry, then walk out laughing because it would make a fine tent for three of her. "
I am sure there are at least a few size "6"s out there who don't appreciate reading about your downsizing comments either, as if wearing an "8" is something to feel bad about in the first place!

Anyway, don't take it personally, but rather than make frivilous attempts with philosophy, mythology, whatever, I prefer, blunt honesty, "without" the extra fru fru.

cutiepie (size 6)

 

[Jade]

I forgot to mention that I am cutiepie
I was meaning to do that
whoops sorry

~Jade

 

[Skibum]

As much as I'd like to lose some (OK, a lot) of wieght, my choice has to be eyes. If I could wake up in the middle of the night, and not have to fumble for my glasses to read the giant, glowing numbers on my alarm clock, I could die happy!

[This message has been edited by skibum (edited 05-26-2000).]

 

[Felix]

Originally posted by Jade:

But, now that you mention it, if we are going to be shallow...
I was in actuality sarcasticcally referring to the earlier part to the post where you went on and on describing her "petiteness" as if it were some sort of horrendous crisis, when really, tons of men fantasize and would LOVE the opportunity to brag about having a teeny tiny little woman.

I am not sure what male fantasies have to do with anything I wrote. My point was that there are real but unappreciated challenges to being qualitatively smaller than the norm -- things that apply to men and women. In fact, while there is a continuum of size-related inconvenience across the scale, the aggravation curve gets pretty steep at the extremes. Some of the posters know this first hand, but for the rest, let me give you a few examples of what your life is like when you are the size of my girlfriend:

• When sitting in chairs, your feet don't touch the ground, so your legs go numb from the pressure on her thighs (as can happen to the rest of us when we sit on tall stools without a footrest). You had better have good posture, because when you sit on a couch, your short femurs prevent you from resting against the couch back in anything less than a full recline (with your feet still swinging numbly, of course). Sure, you can use small furniture and boosters, but that only works if no one ever visits and you never leave the house. Does this seem silly to you? If so, try sitting on airplane for four hours with your lower body asleep and your neck bent 45 degrees by the forward cant of the headrest.

• Buying a car? You won't be able to make most cars driveable, much less comfortable, because you can't reach the controls properly. Did I mention that your arms are too short to keep you a safe distance from the airbag, so you expect it to maim you if it ever deploys?

• Trying to tone your tiny bod? Don't try any of the weight training machines, because they can't be adjusted small enough (even with the insert boards). You can try free weights, but the resolution is limited in the narrow range of weight you need. There's always cardio, but the bike seats are too wide and the handles too far away to use without crippling yourself.

There are workarounds for these and many other issues, and most very petite women probably don't even think about it too much. You can bet, though, that they are working a lot harder just to get though the day.

This would have been fine if you could have done it without insulting women who wear normal sizes.

I didn't. For that matter, there are those who would quibble with your use of the term "normal."

. what was it you said again? ... "walk into a store and ask to see the smallest item they carry, then walk out laughing because it would make a fine tent for three of her. "

I could have just as easily said "crying" instead (in fact, my initial draft did, but it seemed too bleak). It isn't funny when you can't find anything that fits. Size 4.5 shoes are nearly impossible to find, but they are as the sand in the Sahara compared to size 30 bras. Don't take my word for it -- try it yourself.

Let me give a less emotionally loaded example. This morning she went to the ophthalmologist for a prescription and new correctives. She spent over an hour poring over the displays and reading though the catalogs before finding A SINGLE PAIR of glasses that will hopefully fit her head; even that set is a special order, and only available in two unappealing colors. After that, it's children's glasses. No wonder she prefers contacts.

I am sure there are at least a few size "6"s out there who don't appreciate reading about your downsizing comments either, as if wearing an "8" is something to feel bad about in the first place!

Unfortunately, you have entirely misinterpreted my intent -- I was not denigrating women of ANY size.

I had two points in the "downsizing" comment. First, I was making a plea for some degree of consistency in sizing. I know that the "fit models" defining the measurements for each size have evolved over the years, but taking the EXACT SAME DRESS that was an 8 last year and marking it a 6 doesn't do anyone any good. I don't care if you're a 4 or a 44 -- arbitrarily marking down the size is a farce. In case you're wondering, I have direct connections in the garment business who confirm this practice. They tell me that competitive pressure forces them to play along -- given a choice between buying dress A in a 6 or a comparable dress B in an 8, women tend to opt for A because they feel better about themselves. Perhaps you would not, but statistically, the effect is undeniable.

That brings me to the other point. I'm not opposed to feeling good, and this seems like a harmless bit of flim-flam; for most people, it probably is. If, however, you were a 2 or worse yet a 0 before the "downsizing," you have nowhere to go but back to Junior Miss (if that). There actually are a number of manufacturers starting to use "subzero" sizing to make up the difference, but how may size -1 dresses have you seen recently?

I Anyway, don't take it personally, but rather than make frivilous attempts with philosophy, mythology, whatever, I prefer, blunt honesty, "without" the extra fru fru.

I have three responses to that statement:

1. Sigh.

2. I suspect that my initial post was as lucid as any on this topic. Fault me for loquacity if you must, but was my point really so very hard to discern?

3. I will plead guilty to a misdemeanor of excessive rhapsodizing on my follow-up post, but you are stone out of luck on the charges of frivolity and fluffery. My response was earnest and deadly serious -- perhaps too much so for this forum. If I employed unconventional methods, it was in an attempt to convey a richer, more nuanced understanding of my perspective. I do regret that you do not seem constituted to appreciate that effort, but can you not even recognize it for what it really is?

Look, you'll read what you like and think what you will. I am merely suggesting there is value to deeper, more textured forms of expression.