When I was younger I didn't respect my body very much. I didn't love my body at all come to think of it. I hated that it was curvy. I ate whatever I wanted and never really exercised it. I never listened to what it had to say on what I ingested or how I took care of it. I always assumed that I would always have the body that I had in the condition that it was in. I never thought of illness and the many things that could go wrong with it. as I got older I began appreciating those things and learning to respect my body.
I sense that my not respecting my body lead others to not respect it either. I used to be so ashamed of my breast. I think many of those around me sensed it they sensed the chink in my armor I remember hiding as I changed into gym class trying to make sure none of the other girls saw me change. At last it was pointless because someone was going to notice sooner or later. The person that first noticed or at least comment on it decided to start calling me Dolly... as in Dolly Parton. Boys (and by this I mean silly XY chromosome gender human beings) would always make crude comments about them. I never said anything and if I did it would be an explosion of violence. It ended being this way because I'd get to the point of not saying anything that I would just explode.
At last I grew up and the comments were less but I still to this day get comments about my breast as I'm walking down the street. I have learned to ignore them pretend they're not there and just not let it bother me. Most of my guy friends know better than to make comment to me about them. Still every once in a while I'll explode as some idiot who makes the wrong comment as I walk down the street but it's far and in between now a days.
I was surprised when someone (an XY chromosome) made a rather crude, inappropriate comment about them on one of my social networks. I wrote back and said that's inappropriate. He continued to comment on my breast and I'm sure he thought he was being funny and that I was amused. He took a comment on my happiness and made it something so not happy. He felt like a fool of course when everyone else commented on my happiness and realized he had ruined something for me. He apologized later on and I explained to him in general not a good idea to belittle a daughter of God by making such comments.
It was a learning experience for me (if not for him). I learned that I can say I'm not happy with your comment in a respectful manner to all involved. I learned that I can take the high road when someone decides to try to belittle my body. I learned that people can be mean and hurtful without trying and I have to learn to have thicker skin. I learned I can forgive those that have hurt me.
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