Open Apology to the Girl in the Blue Polka Dotted Dress

Tara O'Brien Illustrasion

I hate body shaming. It makes me
it makes me... it makes me so very angry! 
But the thing is that- typically- when one encounters body shaming it is towards a woman who is overweight (by today's social standards)

So, the other day I was at one of my favorite hidden treasures in the city- The White Horse- and there was this girl there in a blue and polka dotted dress who was painfully skinny. 
Ugh, I hate that I have to use that word to describe her. Painfully. But she was just really quite skinny and for whatever fucking reason I felt the need to comment on it to my boyfriend and brother. 
Ugh. WTF is wrong with me? 
"Look how skinny that girl in the blue and polka dotted dress is", I said. Like an asshole. "she's just tooooooo skinny. She can't be healthy" Like it was any of my damn business. 

Luckily, my boyfriend isn't an absent minded dick, like I was being and immediately shhhhhsh'ed me and said "you don't know who around here might be with her. That's kinda rude"

And it was. It was totally effing rude. 
1) I have no idea what's going on in her life. She could be sick. Getting over some disease that caused her to lose a lot of weight. She could suffer from an eating disorder like 1/4 young American girls. OR she could just be a naturally skinny girl who is really fucking sick of people always telling her to eat a hamburger or whatever. 
2) other people's bodies are none of my business. Like 0.0000% of my business
3) I would have never felt the need to comment on a very overweight person in a crowd and I wonder why that is? I mean, I worry for the health of the very overweight and would probably of mentally noted that I hope that person gets some help, but would have never said anything OUT LOUD about it. What does that say about me? What does that say about society?

Did I feel that it was okay to say something because skinny is a desirable trait today? For instance, take the following popular image: 

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I remember when I first saw this post (or something similar) a few years ago thinking how empowering it was to the average woman, but now I think that maybe it's more harmful than hurtful. 
Firstly, all these woman are beautiful. Secondly, I'm pretty sure that at least one of the women from the first row has publicly admitted to suffering from anorexia and drug use. 
Thirdly, yes of course "skinny" is more popular now in magazine and movies, but in the 50's there were still a lot of thinner than average women in movies just like today there are still curvy beautiful actresses and models. 
Oh, I found this. I think this is a better updated image in regards to the former image... 

So, I would like to publicly apologize to the girl in the blue and polka dotted dress that I commented on at the White Horse a few weeks ago. I don't know your struggles or lack there of. Your body is NONE of my business. 
I hope you feel beautiful. 

And I hope you all feel beautiful. No matter what your weight or skin tone or bra size or height or whatever other societal standards keep you from loving the shit out of yourself. 

I am now vowing to never be an asshole like that again because it is hard enough being a woman living in a constant state of feeling self conscious about-- whatever the fuck it is I don't like about myself today. (Ugh, my earlobes look HUGE today) We don't need this girl on girl body shaming. We don't need any body shaming. Don't take it from other girls, don't take it from dudes, and don't take it from yourself! 

Okay, so what I want to leave you with today is this song and video. It is the bestest and oh so body positive. Especially if you got a booty (my white girl booty would be jelly, but today is about embracing your body. So my flat, little white girl booty is just like "yeah whatever")

EVERY INCH OF YOU IS BEAUTIFUL FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP

I want to go and like... just hang out in this video for a Saturday night or something. I love it. I LOVE it. 

And you. 

Have a beautiful day