There is a difference between knowledge and realization.
Always knew that this is a narrow world; just realized that the world is not
just narrow, it’s thin, well-built and is perfectly(?) proportioned as well.
Think about it. Think about the way this society conditions
its citizens from the very beginning. An action figure is always beefed up; the
dolls are always slim, slight and slender; the stuffed animals are always ‘cute’
(many years later, you realize that ‘cute’ may be code name for ugly but
adorable); the clowns are always portly; the animated protagonists are always
fit and clever (Thank you Johnny Bravo for being a notable exception!); the
sidekicks and the ‘best friends’ are usually on the slower side and out of
shape on various sides.
Where do the kids learn that the fat kids in their class are
supposed to be objects of public ridicule? Why should Ms. Congeniality have similar
body measurements as that of Ms. Universe? Will some extra weight really affect
her ‘congeniality’ in any way? Why should the epic love stories be always set
between ‘perfect’ couples? Do we have any documentary evidence of how Prince
Salim, Anarkali, Young Akbar and Jodha bai actually looked? Did they have six
packs, pouted lips and matching hips? Why should a movie about a regular guy
and a regular girl falling in love, should either be a romantic comedy or be
embellished with actors who look anything but regular?
Day in and day out, we run this jogging track of life in the
quest for perfection without even realizing that ‘perfection’ is being
constantly determined and tweaked around by the society that surrounds us. Something
that was ‘acceptable’ some years back becomes unacceptable all of a sudden. The
popular media decides, influences and controls our notion of perfection and beauty.
The page 3 tabloids regularly publish ‘special articles’ on how weight
reduction can ‘improve love life’ (more regularly just a month before Valentine’s
day). It even imparts its zombies with defense mechanisms that negate any
contradictory thoughts. So as you read this post, you might probably think “Can’t
control his weight so now he is out to change the way people think about him?!!
Lazy bugger!!”… I understand what you’ve been through, so I won’t blame you.
I believe that as long as someone can perform every duty
that is normally expected from that person in a normal day, that person is fit.
Why one should be lifting 80-100 pounds in a gym when all one really lifts
during a day is perhaps a couple of kilos of vegetable from the market? Why
should one be running 12 miles on a treadmill when there is hardly ever going
to be a reason for that person to run that much in real life? Why one should
toil on the stepper machines when most of the buildings taller than 4 floors
would be having a lift?
I believe that as long as you can carry that bag of
vegetable home, do your household chores, play with your kids, tie your own shoes, work efficiently in the office, walk to the nearest
supermarket and don’t have any medical conditions that can get aggravated by
that extra pound, be happy with it. You decide your own perfection.
Lastly, do you know what's the difference between knowledge
and realization?
Realizations just tend to hurt more.
