It's Not Easy Being Curvy

I remember being 10, sitting in a classroom with 30 other girls my age getting "The Talk". You know what I mean. The talk about periods, body hair, boys, "developing", and afterwards we were all given a single menstrual pad and travel size stick of deodorant.

Unfortunately for me and many other girls my age, we weren't told about how to deal with the process of getting older and growing into women. I tried to stop the inevitable by wearing sports bras since seventh grade, seemingly in denial that I was actually going to develop. Then in ninth grade, when I actually acknowledged I had grown breasts and felt the need to wear a tight T-shirt and see what kind of reaction I would get.

Of course, the boy from up the block wanted to grope them and I got looks throughout high school from other boys who wanted to see them as well. I had actually started to enjoy the attention being given to my new shape. This seemed all well and good until I started looking at other girls my age.

A lot of them were thinner than I was, with smaller waists, hips and boobs. I remember feeling like the fattest girl in the room when it was time to change for gym, or at school dances when they'd be wearing mini-skirts and tight dresses. Now, I knew in my head that I wasn't fat, but that I wasn't thin either. I looked different.

I got accustomed to my insecurity and refused to diet like a lot of them did. I figured why look like everyone else? Besides, I had a boyfriend and having a boyfriend in high school means that SOMEONE thinks you're attractive. Even if you feel like a whale in a bikini.