Mafuta Vibes-Are We Allowed to Be Fat?

Posted in Guest Posts,Wabona on April 17th, 2013 By Wabona

This is the first blog post in a Blog Series called Mafuta Vibes.

Are You Allowed To Be Fat?

So I don’t blog much, so this is my first blog. I do write lots about me and life in my diary, like most young girls do. But today I am branching out and trying this whole blogging thing. I recently saw a friend share on Facebook something about bloggers needed for the Wabona Blog, well I said let me try. I didn’t know much about Wabona except that they had some old South African TV shows on their website. I am not much for technology so the whole watch things on the internet outside YouTube was strange. Anyway I checked out Wabona and the Wabona Blog and I liked some of it and I thought this would be a place to test out this blogging thing. I must say I did like their CEO, Simba’s crazy energy and that he seemed very comfortable with who he was in his videos on the Blog and their YouTube.

While watching Simba, I thought to myself why is this man, fat man, so confident? I’m sure there are many reasons, I guess. He is a man in a man’s world and being fat or big men in Africa is considered a sign of prosperity. The last reason must be rubbish. There are poor fat people, I am sure of that. The thought still nagged me and reminded me of what some may say was a traumatic experience when I was 8 years old.

Before I get into that, so who am I? I am a 16 year old Sotho girl born in Johannesburg. I have an older sister and an older brother. My parents are pretty well off, they own businesses in Lesotho and Botswana, not BEE, I think, filp! I am not sure. Oh! BEE for those who may not know stands for Black Economic Empowerment, something I think was designed to give Blacks and other disadvantaged by Apartheid a fair chance to make it in the new South Africa. I am not really sure about it all, I was born in 1997 and my parents have mixed feelings too. So basically I didn’t grow up poor. I grew up well and healthy, for some too healthy. And that goes for my whole family barring my dad, we are all pretty…well…fat, big, obese or whatever other word you use to separate the cows from the goats. That’s funny, but I think someone will take offence. Well, if you are offended I look forward to your comment.

Anyway to that “traumatic” experience. When I was 8 I moved to an all-girls primary school and on my first day at school a girl came up to me in the playground. She looked me up and down with some disdain or bewilderment and asked “Are you allowed to be fat?” I was a bit confused and didn’t answer. I was kinda shy, well I still am. She asked me again, this time louder and with a sense of frustration “Hey, Are you allowed to be fat?!” I then answered with another question, “Are you allowed to be so rude?” and I walked away.

When I got home I asked my mom if I was indeed allowed to be fat. She was confused and asked me why I am asking that question. I told her what happened at school and she kept quiet for a few seconds. She then started crying and hugged me. She just said you are mine and you are allowed to be who you are. She then called my dad. My mom gathered herself and they sat me down. I remember feeling very confused, why was mom crying? Why did dad seem so serious? Was there something wrong with me? Or was there something wrong with the question?

So we sat down and my dad said you are our child and you are allowed to be fat. There is nothing wrong with you. I retorted I didn’t think so. They both smiled and hugged me again. My mom then grabbed my hands and said she too was fat and that my sister and brother were fat too. My dad interjected saying and there is nothing wrong with, they didn’t need permission to be fat. They hugged me again and told me they love me.

FatGirlSlim

To Be Continued…

FatGirlSilm is a young ‘blogger’ who prefers the title life journalist. She is looking for new places to express herself and she has joined the Wabona Guest Blogger team. She is not on Twitter as she is scared no will follow her. Read, comment and make her join Twitter. 

Favourite film/TV Shows: Little Miss Sunshine & Bridget Jones Diary . I love New Girl, Society and Misfits.

I love reading books, so I am going to share a few must reads, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Hairdresser of Harare, The Memory of Love, The Beauty Myth: How Images Of Beauty Are Used Against Women, The Girls of Slender Means, 

 

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