As I was browsing the front page, I came across a post on Health Kicker, about a Happy Weight Calculator. Initially, I didn't think much of it... until I started browsing through the comments, where I was reminded of something that had been bothering me last week.

Why are so many women at war with their bodies?  I can understand wanting to lose weight, and not being satisfied with your body and its appearance, but it's still the body that you are using for life.  There are times when I'm self-conscious, and don't particularly love certain parts of my body.  But, generally speaking, it's healthy and lets me get around pretty easily. 

According to the "happy weight" calculator, I am currently at my "happy weight," as long as my wrist measurement was accurate.  If it was off by a hair,  I need to lose about five pounds.  Either way, I think that's pretty accurate.  Similar to most women I know, I think I could stand to lose about ten pounds.  But, since I'm a healthy weight, eat pretty healthy meals, and am active and engage in regular exercise, I'm not going to deprive myself just to damper my thighs' thunder. 

I know people who have struggled to control their weight, either by denying themselves food or by binges and the subsequent purges.  One of the people I know who tries to control her weight by trying to deny herself food also denies herself respect by picking clothes that aren't to her liking, as a punishment for gaining weight.  I can't imagine denying myself clothes that I like, to cast shame upon myself.  Even if I weigh a great deal more than I would like to, I can't clothe myself in something as a punishment.  (At my heaviest, I weighed 20-30 lbs. more than I do currently.)

It makes me sad to see women hating their bodies, rather than loving them... someday, maybe we will rejoice for being mobile, being able to hold food, being able to breathe, and being able to experience life.  Until then, I guess we will continue our love-hate relationship with food, exercise, clothes, media, men... and everything else that influences how we see ourselves.

It seems as though we have a national trend for disproving of our country.  This seems to be something that crosses the board; liberals say it's still too conservative, while conservatives say we're going to hell in a hand basket.  Unfortunately, they're both right (but maybe not for the right reasons).

Firstly, it should be made clear: the USA might have its fair share of problems, and things that make me shake my head in disgust, but (for the time being), it's still a mighty good place to have as your home.  Aside from having people who are currently putting themselves on the line for our sake, there have been generations of others who already did just that.

I don't support some of the things that have happened, and some of the atrocities that others have suffered at our hands.  But, I am grateful to say that I know several wonderful people who have contributed great things to our country. 

What I can't quite understand is that some of the people who I know that seem the quickest to make harsh judgments about the government, and refuse to wear patriotic looking things are also the quickest to sign up for government sanctioned help, beyond what most citizens utilize.  That just doesn't wash with me.  If you're going to diss the military, criticize the flag, and complain about the politics, you really shouldn't be first in line to at the DSS, asking for help with your rent.  (In my opinion.)

I can understand having hesitations  about The American Way, and our politics, and all that... but I don't understand the complete willingness to surrender to our flawed social services so quickly, when you just spent the last hour dissing the same government. 

On a similar note, I was a bit taken aback by a recent Lovelyish post, which says the Pledge of Allegiance is creepy.  Oh dear.  I can understand not wanting to indoctrinate yourself with unquestioning patriotism... but it's not so hard (for me) to get behind pledging allegiance (not unquestioning following) to a republic that grants its citizens liberty and justice.  (Whether we have complete liberty and justice is another issue, entirely.)

In any case, while it may not be perfect, and is facing all kinds of problems, I have to say... I am glad to like in the USA.  There are a couple of other countries that I could see myself comfortably living in, and taking citizenship with... but having visited both of them, I can't deny the happiness I've felt, coming back, and seeing our gaudy flag welcoming me home.