I've been fat all of my life, and from the beginning, I was neither in adoration of, nor critical of my form. I did, however, notice, the average and the thin obsessing over their appearance from an early age. Their parents and society often made it worse, like throwing gasoline on a fire. Most people I encounter continue to be like this, and assume that every detail of my appearance, however minuscule, is intentional. I gave up long ago on trying to convince them that many of these things are the product of chance or indifference or about one thing or another, as they've proven that an elaborate and often bizarre, fictional narrative is often running through their heads. I also gave up, at least in most in cases, attempting to educate them regarding how my body works. They either don't care what I have to say, don't understand it, or are convinced that whatever fantasy they've concocted is paramount. I therefore ignore all of these people as much as possible, unless it rises to the level of harassment, or presents imminent danger of preventing me from accessing vital resources of some sort, which, unfortunately, does happen on occasion.
I find myself in the same position as when I was a teenager. The more enlightened society becomes, and the more commonplace larger bodies become, the less issue I have. In short, it is as it was in the beginning; The most dangerous issues my size, and, to be completely honest, my cognitive variance (Not a reference to mental illness, but the fact most people's neurology seems to be different than my own) with the majority of the population have attracted originate from those most intolerant of my size, NOT the ACTUAL problems my weight itself might have caused. The more they get their act together, the better I feel, in every way.
A good, practical example of what I referenced in the previous paragraph: I really enjoy having been able to resume shopping at the only full-size grocery store near my home. The chain went bankrupt multiple times, and thanks to their last reorganization, coupled with the passage of time, it's no longer corporate policy, or quite as a much the cultural norm of the locals any longer to question everything I purchase in relation to my weight, or follow me around the store as they did my elderly mother years before, monitoring activity, and criticizing most choices. Not being held up for 20 minutes at checkout and having to get the manager because the morally challenged are entertaining themselves by seeing how many inappropriate questions they can get by with is surely a pleasure. It's almost like I'm a real person...or that I live in a real city again as I did when I was younger.
