I was walking home from school one day minding my own business, when I heard a commotion coming from a nearby park. I went to investigate, and to my surprise I discovered two of my classmates arguing. It was a guy and a girl.
She was in tears and he looked angry.
When I walked closer I heard him say, “Your waist is thicker than a bus tyre! I can’t date you! It’s embarrassing!”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
This guy had just rejected her because of her body size. I was so mad and angry that I wanted to confront him, but I knew that it wouldn’t do any good. So I simply stood there and listened while they argued.
The girl was crying and trying to explain that she was perfectly healthy and that she didn’t need to change her body in order to be accepted by him. But he was having none of it and kept insisting that her body size was too big for him.
I was so disgusted by this boy’s behaviour that I wanted to walk away, but I couldn’t. I had to stay and watch as he kept rejecting her. He was so cruel and heartless, and it made me so angry and sad.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the girl managed to walk away. I followed her and comforted her, but I couldn’t do much else. I was so upset by what had happened that I felt completely powerless.
This experience taught me a very important lesson: that body shaming is wrong. No matter what someone looks like, no one has the right to judge them because of it. Everyone is different and everyone deserves to be respected and loved.
It’s not okay to reject someone just because their waist is thicker than a bus tyre. Everyone’s body is unique and beautiful in its own way, and no one should be made to feel bad about it. People should be accepted and loved for who they are, not what they look like.