Sarah+K’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2016


 * What my body has taught me **

Dear Body, I am unsure if I have ever spoken these words out loud, and even though they don’t roll smoothly off the top of my tongue; I want you to know that I Love You. In the past I have been very unkind to you. Calling you names or spending hours in front of a mirror pointing out every stretch mark, cellulite, or pimple I could find. I used to loathe you and the way your thighs touched, but I am here to tell you today that none of that matters anymore.

As long as I can remember I’ve struggled with issues regarding my body. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I first noticed these feelings, but I do remember being as young as 9 years old and asking my mom if I could start straightening my hair everyday, because my brother kept calling me Hagrid. I will admit the untameable mop that sat on top of my head did resemble the gate keeper from Harry Potter, but that should have been the least of worries for a 9 year old child. let’s just say It’s hasn’t been an easy battle and I’m nowhere close to winning it, but here are a few things it has taught me throughout the years.

Number One: You are Not alone. According to a statistics found in the UK 90% of teens are unhappy with their body. And while these numbers are absolutely terrifying it shows how this mental disorder plagues us all. Body dysmorphia does not discriminate by gender or race affecting anyone and everyone. Yes, even that girl the seems utterly perfect is uncomfortable in her own skin. Even celebrities like Ryan Reynolds who was voted the sexiest man alive told huffington post he feels like an “overweight pimply faced kid”. I mean come on It’s RYAN FREAKING REYNOLDS. If he finds himself unattractive then what the hell does that make me.

To introduce my next point I would like you to think of your definition of normal. According to dictionary.com Normal is defined as conformingtothestandardorthecommontype. If your goal or aspirations in life were to look “normal” or like everyone else I’m sorry to burst your bubble by politely telling you to keep dreaming, because normal does not exist! We are born into bodies of different shapes, sizes, and colors. These differences are what make us unique yet they are simultaneously what we dislike about ourselves the most. Instead of shaming ourselves into thinking we are not adequate, the effort would be much better put to use into taking time appreciate how much our bodies do for us. Like how our legs whether they be short and stubby or tall and lanky allow us to climb mountains and run marathons. Or how our noses which can be curved or flat allow us to take in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide which is vital to live. Lastly, we could appreciate our eyes and how they allow us to see beautiful sights like fireworks on the fourth of july or the sun kissing the horizon during sunset, regardless if they are hooded, rounded, or almond shaped. But most importantly all these things make up you. My final realization occurred at 3 AM one night when I couldn’t sleep. As my mind wandered I realized summer was quickly approaching with about a month left of school. I initially thought of all the things I would be looking forward to like not having to write speeches or sleeping in. But as my mind diverted to images of beaches and pool parties fear struck as my #beachbod looked more like a potato. Well, what even is a beach body? According to the media it’s Gigi Hadid, the hot victoria’s secret angel on the cover of every fashion magazine. “Oh crap”, I thought to myself, “I could never look like her”. But wait! also featured in this “said” magazine are her top 5 secrets to getting a Bikini Body. Well that seems simple enough. If I just eat 500 calories, do a juice cleanse, drink a tea detox, take a diet supplement, and jog for 20 minutes I too will have a bikini body like Gigi hadid. WRONG. I would probably spend the first few days on the toilet, until I ended up in the hospital being treated for malnourishment. This is the problem with our society. We are constantly chasing after unrealistic expectations of, in this case a model who was digitally altered to begin with, while we are killing ourselves in the process. In 2013, it was found that 10 for every 100 girls suffer from either anorexia or bulimia, eating disorders that can lead to life threatening conditions.

Although it would be cool to regrow a limb or have cells that can regenerate like spiderman, we are sadly not starfish nor superheros. We are only human. And we only get ONE body in our lifetime. That’s why it’s important to love and care for it the way it is rather than hating it for what it’s not.

And this is the America I want to live in. One where a bikini body only requires one step. To put on the bikini. An america where no one feels trapped inside the vessel that is supposed to take them to new heights. One where looking in the mirror and giving yourself a compliment is the norm not abstract. To end this speech with a quote from the queen herself. “I woke up like this… FLAWLESS”.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-205285/90-teens-unhappy-body-shape.html https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences-eating-disorders http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/09/insecure-stars_n_4072312.html