Friday, December 9, 2011

Breaking the Glass Ceiling



As a bigger girl I had always had to prove myself. As many of us know when you look a certain way whether its being a big girl, being a certain race, being too short; what ever; people look at certain other people and put them in a box. Being a girl who developed breasts and hips at a young age, older women said I was going to be fast and have a bunch of kids with different fathers. I proved them wrong. I have two children by the same man, we were together for six years. As a teenager I had petite mal seizures in high school. I missed a lot of school because of doctors appointments and migraine headaches that still bother me to this day. I needed a tutor to help me get caught back up with my work so I could graduate with my class. People thought I was dumb or slow. I proved them wrong. Not only did I graduate with my class, I was the only one in my class to graduate with an Associate Degree before I had my high school diploma. When I had my daughter I had gained 60 pounds. Between work, school, being a new mom and all the other stresses in my life the weight stuck and more came on when I had my son. People thought I was lazy and did nothing all day. Again I proved them wrong. I have a career that I love, I have worked since my sophomore year of high school. I provide for my children and I work hard every day to give them a better future.

Not only as women but as plus size women we have to work even harder to prove that we can literally carry our weight in this world. There are a lot of jobs that "nicely" discriminate against us. I'm sure just about all of us have delt with it, and I have seen it in action. On the phone one of my former employers was very impressed with a woman that was applying for a position at our office. She seemed nice, had all the credentials and then some. Once they met her in person and saw that she was a bigger girl, they were no longer interested. They were selling a certain image for the office and wanted everyone there to be attractable to potential patients. They hired a girl who was petite and cute to look at, but under qualified and almost got the practice sued.

I know it doesn't seem that way but this recession might have been a blessing in disguise. it forced a lot of employers to look at who was strong enough and qualified enough to help their business survive these hard times, no matter what they looked like. I have seen more bigger people men and women alike behind counters, and in offices than I ever had before. Just because we are plus size doesn't mean we cant make strides in corporate America. Don't let the barriers everyone else has created keep you trapped. If we all push against the glass, we are big enough to break it.

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