catay:Back in grade school when one had to bring valentines for every classmate to prevent k
catay: Back in grade school when one had to bring valentines for every classmate to prevent kids from being left out. I was self-conscious about being the fat kid in the class so any inference (accidental or otherwise) that others were aware that I was fatter than anyone else was a sensitive issue for me. I would dread opening the poorly sealed envelopes as I worried about the potential hidden meanings of the selections. It seemed I was ~always~ given the elephant valentines from the variety box. *sigh* “What were they REALLY trying to say to me??” Was I really only worthy of the elephant card? Heh. I realize now that there was rarely any hidden messages in the box of valentines. Sure, some kids intended to send me the elephant as a reminder that I was fat in the event I had forgotten. In reality, most of the kids didn’t care and they quickly stuffed the envelopes and scribbled classmate’s names onto the cards. What’s interesting to me all these years later how much of a memory those pachyderm selections had. I can still feel the stress of this day – not for fear of being unloved or not having a partner, etc – but for fear of being the elephant in the room. -- source link
#valentines#stress#fat kid#valentines day