Being born in the "twiggy era", the 70's, was difficult for me. I stuck out like a sore thumb out among all the "you can't be too thin" girls. They all seemed to have these incredibly long, thin, lean legs. My mom used to say I had big legs because I was German. Well, I don't want to be German then.
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| Twiggy 1970ish |
In grade school I was referred to as the "girl with the big legs". I absolutely hated it and wished there was something I could do about it. My legs set me apart from all the other girls. I couldn't wear the cute, slim fit jeans or skirts, hell, I still can't. I was the butt of several jokes and was teased quite a bit. However, it wasn't all bad. I was one of the first kids picked for teams of kickball or dodgeball, so I can't complain about that. Having strong, sturdy legs allowed me to play an entire soccer game. My legs landed me on the "A" track and cross country team in high school and I lettered my freshman year. After I graduated I ran several marathons. See, it wasn't all bad.
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| Me, age 12 |
Even at my age, 43, I am still a little self-conscious about my thighs. Most days we get along great, unless I am trying on jeans or dress pants, that is a nightmare. However... when I head out the door for a bike or a run, I have a lot of confidence that my big legs will serve me well. I just wish someone had told me when I was younger that my large legs would make me an amazing athlete, or something along those lines, but no one did.
I also wish I could be in a room with all of those who made fun of me and tell them what my big legs have helped me accomplish. I would definitely mention that I crushed out over 200 miles of Kansas gravel, in less than a day. I would tell them of the time I went mountain biking for 24 hours. Finally, I would tell them of a tough trail race I am doing this weekend and smile really big!
Wendy
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