Obsessing About Obsessing

I may not take my mother's picture down for awhile. She inspires me--like today.

My mother cooked like a master chef so I grew up thinking every meal had to have bread, potatoes and dessert--particularly chocolate cake. When we would come home for a holiday (or just for a visit), she had gingersnaps, peanut brittle, divinity, always something chocolate--everything delicious. You ask my kids who they remember fed them the best--their mom or their grandma--and you'll get Grandma every time.

But Mother was on a perpetual diet. She wasn't ever obese, but off and on during her life she was overweight--and she was skinny many times, too. I don't know if it was because she talked about it or why, but when I entered that adolescent stage when girls usually have skinny legs, I thought I was fat because my legs weren't skinny. As I look back now, I see that they were shapely for a pre-teen. I was about 11 or 12in the picture at the right. I took tap and ballet from Dixie Dice in Amarillo. The three of us in the picture did a routine where we were called The Babysitters. I remember when that picture was taken. I deliberately put weight on my foot so my thighs wouldn't look so big. How I got that idea is beyond me. My thighs are no larger than the other girls' and none of us could be considered overweight.

All my life I thought I was too fat. Now that I really am fatter, I wish I had some of those skinny days back. Last night, as I looked at my once flat stomach which isn't any more, I thought about how obsessive we women are. We obsess about our bodies and we obsess about our hair. I didn't start obsessing about my hair until I started turning grey. Now I obsess about my hair and my body.

While thinking (obsessing) about obsessing, I thought about men, and asked Reid what men obsess about. He looked confused and thought for a little while then said, "I can't think of anything." Good Grief! Surely men obsess. I bet Donald Trump obsesses about his hair. But what else? Their "privates." Maybe some of them do. I don't know since that's not something I've ever discussed with men.

What is it about women that makes them (us) think about these things? It's definitely a waste of good thinking time. And why don't men obsess? Could it be because women have such huge brains that we have to think of things to keep our brains busy? If that's so, what does that say about men's brains? Maybe men are smarter than women and don't waste their time thinking about things they have no control over.

When I was little I remember wishing I was a boy because I thought it was easier than being a girl. I think I was right.