Sunday, April 18, 2010

Ups and Downs

It has been a crazy week. Thursday was hectic but pretty good. I went back to the school I used to work at for their science night. I saw so many of my former students and their families. Their jaws dropped because they did not recognize me at first. It was like a great big reunion of my favorite co-workers and students who have forever changed my life.

I heard many - "Oh my god!" and "How did you do it?" and "I would have never recognized you" and "You look great, is it true you are pregnant?"

Two years ago I had a student who I taught for two years. His dad always came to conferences because mom did not speak English. One day, this student came in with a big smile and said "my dad says you are really fat!"

Now I had a few things I wanted to say back (especially because dad was very large) but the student was 6 and we had a talk about hurting people's feelings (even if dad thinks it is okay).

Well, I saw that student. He ran and grabbed his dad. Jaw on the floor. I could see his in his mind he was eating his words. Revenge is sweet.

Later that night I tried on my size 10 jeans and was proud I could still button them. I thought they could live another day until my hubby said "man, those are tight!" He was looking at my arse and legs! Not my ever growing muffin top. So I went to my size 12s. More room in the waist but not the legs. Finally I pulled out the 14s. Total comfort. A little too roomy in the waist but I will dig out a belt and live with it until I have to start with the elastic waist bands. Sounds attractive, I know.

Fast forward to Friday in the lunch line at my new school. My pants and black school shirt fit extremely well. Nothing too tight. A lunch lady (whom I hardly know) said "Man, you are BIG! Are you having twins? Ha, ha, ha!!" How effing rude is that? In front of my class too. Of course, I took it in great stride but I had somethings I wanted to say. Like pointing out that she is a foot shorter than me and has about 50 pounds on me.

I am not sensitive. I almost never cry. But what if I was and I did right there in the lunch line in front of my kids? She should feel like an arse herself!

What is it about being pregnant that makes people think they can say whatever they want? I have NEVER said anything about size or weight to a pregnant woman (or anyone for that matter). Maybe because I have been overweight (okay, morbidly obese) I am more sensitive to other people's feelings where this is involved.

Talk about a 180. From totally nice people and compliments to a totally rude person and insults the next. If I were rude (which I can be at times), I would go up to that lunch lady next week and rub her belly and ask her when she is due and then laugh like she did. Laughing does not make insults okay. And I think after you lose 100 pounds no one should be able to call you "BIG" anymore. She does not know I lost that much weight but if I had an eating disorder (besides my night-time carb loading), that comment could have been a major problem.

Enough bitching.

Hopefully you all had a good week. Rest up today. You deserve it!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

very impressive !!
Good luck to you and the coming child
have a good day...

M said...

When my friend was pregnant, she would get soooooo many comments from large women about her growing tummy. She really would cry though. Dont let the comments make you bitter about this special time though! The baby will come, the weight will go away, and things will start falling into place again!

Mrs. S. said...

People are rude and extremely nosy when you're pregnant. And of course if you are rude back they are insulted! I am sure you look amazing & I highly doubt you appear to have anything larger than a grapefruit in there. =D

Alison said...

People seem to think that they can say whatever they want when you are pregnant and that they can touch your belly without your consent, people just don't really have manners and it's like you become an object when pregnant, not a person. Of course there are exceptions but the rude ones seem to come out of their holes...

Congrats on all the compliments at your old school that must have felt awesome!

Christine said...

actually I would say lunch lady bought herself a ticket to rude town...do it.
She'll know how it feels and then next time maybe she'll keep her trap shut.
Just keep plugging.
And when that dad came over to say how much weight you lost, you should have said "WEll, goodness...you haven't changed a bit!" Very vague and insulting enough without being overt...I love those opportunities...live for them in fact.
Just remember at the end of this nutty trip is a baby.
worth it.
hang in there.