“Hey, who’s that girl over there? Do you see her? The chubby one with the big tits.”

For years all I would hear were phrases like the above and I would want to hide in a hole. In today’s society body image is almost an obsession. There are photos of teeny tiny models plastered all over the internet, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements for stores. Society pressures those who do not fit the cookie cutter mold of what a person should look like to either crawl in a hole and hide from the world or diet so hard they end up severely harming themselves. I used to be one of those people. I used to always feel that I was never good enough to be seen as beautiful.

I have always battled a weight problem. My weight has fluctuated so much during my teenage years and into my adult life. I have had to learn to accept myself and that is not always the easiest of tasks with all of the pressures of society telling you that you are imperfect. Recently, though, I have come to terms with my body and have begun to learn to love the skin I am in.

Accepting my body has been an ongoing battle. Becoming involved in the BDSM community has helped to increase that acceptance. When I first stepped into the public scene early this year I was a nervous ball of energy. I was a chubby girl who didn’t like to wear makeup or cute clothes. I wanted to hide my body as much as humanly possible and hopefully avoid being seen. I stepped into the coffee shop for the gathering of the community members and found that they accepted me as I was. I was stunned. That had never happened before. They encouraged me to attend a party and I accepted. Attending the party helped to boost my acceptance even more.

If you are unfamiliar with a play party in the BDSM community, let me elaborate. Most of the parties are social events, but there is usually play that occurs. Play involves floggings, whippings, waxings, etc. Most play also involves the bottom for the session to be naked or very close to it. Taking off my clothes for the first time in the dungeon was a nearly mortifying experience for me. I thought that people would be repulsed by my body. I was stunned when I heard comments of praise and enjoyment of my body and my movements. I had never been complimented before. I left the party with a better feeling of myself.

In the months that followed, I became more and more comfortable with myself and my body that I was pulling my clothes off without a second thought. At first I was only doing it because I received praise. That has changed. I have developed confidence in myself. I do not particularly care if someone passes me and does not like the way I look to them. I figure that I may not be appealing to that one person, but to a group of people I am gorgeous. They love and accept me the way I am.

Body image is definitely something that is shoved down the throats of every living person. The pressures to be thin and have store bought breasts the size of watermelons are obvious. That is not sexy or appealing to me or most men that I have spoken to. Be confident and comfortable with the skin you are in. Walking with your head held high and a strut in your step will turn heads and gain approval from society. Confidence makes a person, not looks.

So, ladies and gents, be happy with the skin you are in and be confident! The most beautiful people in this world are the ones who are not stereotypical and carry themselves with pride. Screw body image and what most people think to be appealing. Be happy being you. Always.