Today, while I was watching a TV show, I kind of spaced out for a while. I started thinking about some past memories, about my friends, about life in general. And while I was at it, I started thinking about my body image issues as well. I have many flaws that I'm not too comfortable with, such as my upper arms. I have this skin condition called keratosis pilaris. They're basically these small bumps that almost look like pimples (gross, I know, but they really aren't pimples), and they make your skin look kind of dry and red. My upper arms are covered in them, basically. As far as I know, there's no "cure".
Ever since I got them in my early teens, I've pretty much refused to wear short-sleeved t-shirts and tank tops. I've been able to wear some sleevless dresses at parties, but that's it. However, while I was reminiscing, suddenly I remembered this one thing an old friend of mine said to me years ago when we were on a school trip with our class. I had bought this really cute short-sleeved plaid shirt, and I wanted to wear it at dinner. But I was afraid of what my classmates would think of my skin condition, so I quickly folded it and put it back into my traveling bag. I was sharing a room with 2 of my good friends, so I decided to vent to them about my problem. I showed them my arms, and one of them gave me this look. This blank, but yet extremely honest look. She said, in the most casual way possible:
You know, if you show everyone that you don't care, then nobody else will care. Right? Wear it.
And for some reason, that really stuck with me. I ended up putting the shirt on. Of course I still felt a little insecure, but every time I got the urge to put a cardigan on, I kept telling myself "don't. If you don't care, nobody else will care."
I feel like there's a lot of truth behind that statement. Usually, people don't even notice these things until you point it out to them or make a fuss about it. And that's when they'll start caring. If you don't make a fuss about it and if you show everyone that you're ok, then nobody will bat an eye. Ever since my friend told me that, I've been thinking about it on and off whenever I've felt insecure. Most of the time it has been a fleeting thought, but it has still been there.
Today, for some reason, this memory stood out to me the most. So I decided to text my friend who said it to me. We haven't spoken since December. I thanked her for telling me what she told me, and that it's something that has really helped me throughout the years. That it might sound a little cheesy and random, but I just wanted her to know that I really appreciate it. You know what she told me?
Oh my god, no problem! Haha this made me so happy, thank you for your kind words! This made my day! I dropped my phone in the toilet today, so I have to use this old one which sucks. I really needed that, thank you.
Moral of the story? If you don't care, nobody else will care. And if you haven't talked to a good friend in a while for whatever reason, send them a message. Tell them something nice, give them a compliment, make their day. It will be completely spontaneous and unexpected, and it will most likely also be something that cheers them up if they're having a bad day. Who knows, maybe when you're having a bad day, they will spontaneously cheer you up as well.
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