To all the girls I have known

To all the girls I’ve known,

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry you grew up believing that you were not beautiful. I’m sorry your self-esteem was inversely proportional to your waistline. I apologize for the times you were told that to be beautiful, you must be fair. To be pretty, you must be slim. To be attractive, you must have well-spaced teeth, to be desirable you must have abnormally straight yet voluminous hair and to be loved, your skin must be smooth, your breasts must be well shaped and you must have no love handles at all. Because love can’t handle them.


I’m sorry you were told repeatedly that no one would marry you because you were dark, or that with your size, you’d find it hard to find love, or that with your height, you’d find no partner or that you’d never truly experience happiness because you’re not cut out of a magazine cover. I’m sorry that your weight determined your self worth and you grew up with body image issues blaming your body for your setbacks and failures and associating all bad incidents with your structure. I’m sorry you were told you weren’t good enough, not pretty enough and that in a round world, you’ll have to be a straight line to fit in.

I accept my involvement in creating an environment which fostered your insecurities. But I do not take onus for the hate you subject yourself to now.

I agree I threw you down the abyss of worthlessness, but it was your choice to fall. You could have flown, why didn’t you? Why don’t you?

- Love, Society

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