You know that one: that pesky whisker, or two, or three that appears regularly in random areas in spite of persistent plucking and shaving. The hair that has thinned from our scalp is now appearing on other body parts, showing up full grown, drawing our fingers to explore its bristle and contemplate its origin. Not exactly a topic of fitness, nevertheless these hairs remind of me that my body does not align with the ideal image.
The ideal image: that unreal model served to girls from birth and increasingly pushed onto boys. A viewing of Miss Representation is shocking. And although I know in my head that my worth does not lie in my body, media tenaciously espouses it. That rogue hair forces me to find value in other features: humor, patience, compassion, generosity.
If, perchance, you are plagued by body image insecurity, I invite you to read F*ck Your Diet: And Other Things My Thighs Tell Me by Chloé Hilliard. Warning: topics are presented with humor raw. However, you will never feel bad about that whisker popping out of your chest.
