Are you a large person?  I'm not talking to the person who wants to lose five or ten pounds of vanity fat to squeeze into some tight fitting swimsuit.  I'm talking to the person who goes for a checkup and spies the doctor writing "Morbidly Obese," (I hate those words), on his chart.  Now that's a large person.  Join the club.  You're in good company.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  It's no shame to be fat.  I'm going to let you in on another little secret.  There are more of "us" than there are "them," (I'm talking about the beautiful people).  I took a poll the other day as I sat outside a large department store and noticed that 68% of the people exiting the store were in the "large" category.  (This was not a scientific poll, but it was one I believe can be repeated nationwide.)

What's my point?  It is simply that large people have been taught by society that we are less desirable and less likely to succeed.  The advertising we see, the comments we hear, all lead us to believe we are sub-normal in some way.  That simply is not true.  But...there are things that a large person can do to enhance his image:  attitude, dress, and health.

Let's start on attitude.  Every rude remark that someone makes is not a reflection on you or your personality.  It simply shows that small people have small ways.  Learn to have a sense of humor.

When I was in high school I was standing in the hallway talking to some friends when a girl walked up to me and said, "Gee...you're fat."

I merely replied, "Thank you, I might never have known had you not told me.  Thanks for sharing."

My classmates laughed, not at me, but at the girl.

Another time I was told, "You're too fat."

I replied, "Too fat?  Do you know how many calories I have to eat every day just to keep this beautiful figure?"

I received laughs, but they were with me, not at me.

Or I might have said, "That's strange, I only weigh fifty pounds on the moon."

Over the years I've learned that a sense of humor alleviates many potential damaging situations.

Another incident illustrates my point.  While I was visiting with a friend, she looked at a man walking by and said, "I can't stand that fat guy."

I looked at her and said, "What do you mean fat?  He's half my size."

"Oh, I don't think of you as fat," she replied.

The point is that my sense of humor helped her to see me as a regular person.  It allowed me to get close enough to share ideas and my personality.  A sense of humor is essential for large people.

When I notice people staring at me or gossiping about me I simply smile and wave.  Usually, they will smile back or look away.  Either way it's not my problem.

A good sense of humor lets people see the real you.  Don't let other people's rudeness turn you into a sour or combative person.  The idea is to make friends and good contacts.  That can't be done by being nasty and sarcastic, (even if somebody else started it),  Be a person with an upbeat positive attitude and many problems (not all, there are still rude people in the world), will simply vanish.

Copyright 2008 J-me

Parts Two and Three of this article will be posted in following weeks.

About the Author.  Mark Brown, who writes under the pen name J-me, has served as vice president of three corporations and president of a non-profit corporation.  He has been an instructor and is the author of three technical manuals and his hilarious book "Mason Bricklin," which can be viewed on his web site at:

www.masonbricklin.net