Reflect: On connotation

5.3

Fat has many connotations to me. In the 1980’s when I was a teenager, growing up in an image-fixated time, being fat was the worst thing that could happen. I felt body conscious to the point of verging on having an eating disorder.

The word ‘fat’ had negative connotations. Fat meant many things back then, body shape in every form had meaning and implications true and untrue.

In the 90’s when I was a snowboarder living in the the French Alps the word ‘fat’ was used to describe the pants we wore, ‘fat pants’ the jumps we made were ‘fat air’, the music we listened to were ‘fat tunes’. The connotation was that ‘fat’ meant big, good, awesome.

Reflect in your learning portfolio and make some notes on how you perceive the word ‘fat’, what connotations do you place around it?

Now, I notice my thinking, I don’t think being fat is this or that, I still have my fixation at times with my own body, I know how I like to feel and how I like to have my clothes fit me, what feels most comfortable.