I always feel such extraordinary luck when I find myself in an airport holding area waiting to get on a plane. This took many months of planning: the complicated ticket; the saving of the necessary funds to travel with; the requisite visas and sundry documentation — all to produce this state of readiness. It is a common experience, I am sure. You are going on your own Grand Tour. (1) All of your efforts have brought you to this moment. It is similar to going on stage. You are being held in the Green Room (2) prior to your performance. The astute observer is there long enough to be able to look at some of the other acts. There are the comedians giggling nervously; the impresarios, pretending to be people they are not; the rock and roll stars with their earpieces glued to their heads, listening to their newest releases and, the most unfortunate, the enormous souls pacing back and forth, liked caged circus animals. They should be restricted to oversized planes — sizes L and above. Then it begins — First Class is summoned. In most cases, this is an oxymoron: they are neither first nor seem to have any class. They bumble into line with confused, poorly-displayed wealth. Much like one major world leader who can’t tie a tie — it is either too short or too long. In Western culture, we call it new money: wealth without tradition and style.
It is the giants who catch my heart, however. I truly feel for this group. If they get on a regular flight, which they invariably do, their “default” seating should be business or first class. They do not deserve to be squished into a seat that is only designed for a person like me and smaller. I have had the opportunity on more than one occasion to speak to such a colossus. The conversation is always unfortunate, to say the least: pure pain and regret at their size. I find that incredibly funny in an ironic sort of way.
It would be fair to say that when God was handing out his “dimensions for men” (and women, as well), he forgot to update his version to the 21st century. We travel more than ever before, (3) yet you cannot be big and voyage comfortably in those undersized seats. This is antithetical to our commonly accepted image of what constitutes a “fine figure” of a man or woman. Size is an essential component to this image of tall, blond and good-looking. This has a nasty consequence: most young people struggle with the physical temple they have been awarded at birth. “Body image” has become the newest curse to our adolescents. (4) Why you may ask? The gauntlet of responsibility must be flung at the feet of our entertainment and news industries – in bed with the Internet. They have created an image of beauty that is reproduced again, and again, and again. Our example of the voyaging body has shown us, nonetheless, that there is neither an ideal size nor an ideal beauty. All of us as individuals must come to terms with our corporeal form: this is what must be taught to our young people. Accept your physical body, keep it healthy and it will carry you for a lifetime. The great Russian writer, philosopher, and pacifist, Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), leaves us with a thought: Our body is a machine for living. It is organized for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself.
A closing thought: The concept of physical beauty has a long pedigree. This is especially true in women. Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) would today have a body type that borders on fat while in the 1950s she was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. (5) The secret to all of this is to forget the body you have been given. This is, of course, much easier to say than to do, especially if you are 16 years old. Until I was 16, I was the ugliest boy in our class. Then at a school conference, a young girl told me that I was very handsome. I suddenly realized that if I could fool one girl, I could fool all the girls: this incident changed my life. Our educational institutions need to have classes from a very early age that reinforce the idea of “the beautiful you”: there is no one like you, there has never been and there never will be. It is to be noted: this is not an apology for lack of exercise or sloth of person. You need to excel — always excellence: why not?
To sum up: This week, we spoke about body type and its attendant problems. We must be happy to have a body. Failure to do so and we would not exist on this plane.
A philosophical question: Why do physically beautiful people often marry ugly people and vice versa? The answer: all beauty lies within.
Just for fun — The Carpenters — Close to you
This week during your walk, please reflect on how you view your own body.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: With age, health trumps beauty: why not?
Footnotes:
1) Grand Tour
2) Green room
3)Â We’re travelling even more than ever, according to the World Tourism Organisation