Baggage – we all have it, not one of us is exempt. However, when it begins to spread all over others then it becomes disruptive and difficult, then our baggage is no longer ours, it is vile disruptive and destructive. People are questioning if they should remain because of their philosophies and that is not the bigger issue – I find that Spark respects the difference; however, what this public free site does not offer or give the right for another to speak harshly to another one. Are we really here to make our brother or sister stumble? I have approached my weight loss in a way that works for me – it is not my desire for anyone to tell me that I eat too much salt, or too many fruit or, too much red foods today and not enough purples tomorrow. Maybe I am not losing at the rate that would be specific for someone else journey, but hey, it is my journey and I do not have to accept the generalization and platitudes of someone else. I do believe in health, but I am not one to tell another what they believe is wrong and my way is the best way. What kind of baggage is that? I pray every morning at 6:00 a.m. and I truly blessed, but because someone else does not pray at that time, are they privileged to be blessed. One size does not and will not fit all.

Below, please find a reprint of a blog that I wrote in 2010 because that baggage of others has been opened and it has let out some of the baser natures of others, and people are angry, hurt, revengeful, doubting themselves (and as a woman losing weight, I do not need someone to help me feel doubt, I do that well – thank you much). I don’t need to say, can we all get along. I would really desire just a couple of answers to my questions. Oh, BTW – I am cool; the firestorm has not really scorched me, but I am seeing some energy drain on others and it just is not right.

REPRINT 9/2010

I have been going around to blogs and saying hello because I am so inspired by what has been accomplished. I can see why different people are selected as motivators and I see a trend - they report the good, the bad and the ugliness of life. They share their tears, fears and their cheers and I am so grateful for that.

I came back here this year after being gone for a while. I did not realize the Value and richness nor appreciated what was made available. Last week there was a thread on the open forum that brought out claws and the things we try to keep hidden, and I was saddened by the comments - no one was right, and no one was wrong, and because of the disagreement - it got ugly. I stopped and prayed because we have joined up here - most people because of the need to lose weight; There is no color, race gender, or nationality on being obese, overweight - if we were all stripped of our skin, we would see fat packets on thighs, bellies, legs, hands, and we would really resemble one another, you might have green eyes, and I have brown (which by the way I think are lovely as they have never been fat), you may be taller or shorter, your feet might be a six and mine are a twelve ( the better to hold me up my dear, with a six, I could not walk), essentially we would all be the same.

So the question I am posing as I end (and of course run spellcheck), is our ugly what has kept us fat? And if a biggesst loser reads my blog, my question to you is, did your ugly disappear? Ugly is defined as anything that separates you from another because of a difference ( from the dictionary of Sweetlips).

I am working on my ugly and I have for a while, because I do believe that I have let my ugly determine my destiny as an obese woman and not spent enough time looking at what make me beautiful to my fellow man and myself. What about you, if you have an ugly have you worked on it? Take Care and Good Night