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I get mixed emotions when I see this photograph of myself as a young lad. A wave of unpleasant memories overcome me as I think back of the many occasions I was teased, taunted and beaten for being overweight. The insults will remain tattooed inside my mind forever. Nobody likes to be made fun of, and at such a young age, our personalities are developing and our egos are fragile. Our confidence is not quite there, and we gain our sense of who we are from what is said to us. Needless to say, the mockery did some harm, but I have to say no permanent damage, fortunately.
In hindsight, it was a life lesson for me. As people, we learn compassion only through suffering. The literal meaning of compassion is, "suffering together with another”. The emphasis, "com" (with), and "passion" from the Latin pati (to suffer)–is on personal involvement, suffering with them.
If I didn't understand what it felt like to be a overweight teenager, I guess I wouldn't be so passionate about working with children to prevent the many obesity problems facing our nation.
Looking back, being overweight gave me an insight into what would become a primary goal in my adult journey. I can understand fully how hurtful and torturous it can be, and most of the time, children suffer in silence. |
