I ditched the leggings today and sported some short shorts to weight training today. It was a very first of firsts for me -- I've never worn shorts to the gym before. My decision to do so came about partly as a result of a lack of clean laundry to wear but more so because of this one particular girl I saw riding the TTC subway. I don't know her and she doesn't know me but she inspired me today.
I was on the TTC earlier today when this younger gal came on. Her shorts so short they could hardly contain her bottom. She stayed standing, she didn't sit, and so while she stood there at the door of the subway many people looked her up and down, from head to toe. She wasn't a particularly fit lady but you could tell by the two braids in her hair and fresh, glossy skin that she was young. I'm guessing in her low 20s. She had on this black t-shirt and these super short shorts. A plump girl, probably pushing about 160lbs, you wouldn't consider her small. And while I'm sure some people thought a girl her size perhaps shouldn't be wearing such a short pair of short shorts, I had to give her props. She owned that look and I think that's what made her look great. She didn't care what anyone thought and you could tell by the confidence at which she stood sporting, standing there in front of all those fellow subway riders, sporting her short shorts while smiling away and not even paying attention to anyone else.
"That is what beauty is", I thought to myself. To be confident in your own skin, owning your look and wearing what you want to wear regardless of what others around you think.
I'm by no means as big as this girl but it's taken me a long time to become confident in my own skin and sometimes I struggle with it. I think it's safe to say most, me included, have our insecurities. For me, where my body is, where I want it to be and where I think it should be are all still three different places but I know as much now to respect my body for where it's come so far, how strong it's become from where it once was, and to continue to push it with the anticipation of how much healthier and stronger it will become.
When I was slipping into my training clothes for training tonight I thought about this girl on the subway, her not giving two cents about what anyone thought of her short shorts. Actually, maybe she did care but by the looks of it she cared enough to not let it show and extra props to her for that! Anyways, so in getting ready, I ditched the usual leggings and sports my short shorts.
The funny part of this somewhat motivational story though is what went down when I showed up at System for training. I came flying down the club stairs, saw the manager and blurted out, "Look, I've got short shorts on... see, I do own shorts!" He responded with a very stressed out, worried look on his face. "Ya, so does she", he commented as he pointed to a girl on the Stair Master machine. Yes, that girl definitely had short shorts on too but unlike mine, her cheeks weren't exactly "contained" in hers, if you know what I mean. This girl was totally rocking it out, pumping out her cardio and killing those calories on the Stair Master, but she was also turning heads, dropping jaws, and scoring frowning eye brows. I was asked to approach her and ask if she was wearing underwear or if she had more appropriate clothes to train in but I didn't. Perhaps what she was wearing wasn't the best or most appropriate clothes to train in considering this is kind of a family gym, but I know there's girls half her size that don't have the confidence to pull of such an outfit and to do so while doing cardio, wow. I had nothing but props to her. Confidence is what beauty is all about and she rocked it. Good for her!
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