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Before I knew it the summer of 1986 came to an end. For the first time ever, shopping for school clothes actually became enjoyable. It was the first year in a very long time that I wasn't required to shop at the BIG & FAT clothing store. In a three month period I lost ninety- five pounds leaving my weight at two hundred five pounds on the first day back to school. My waist size shrinking from a forty-eight to a thirty-eight felt great. My excitement and zest for life grew with energy as each pound fell from my body. The first day of my senior year approached rapidly. Suddenly, I became excited about going back to school. The dream day of my life was about to occur. I would walk the halls with confidence, resilience, self esteem, and a sense of accomplishment. When I entered the corridor of my high school, people began to take note, point fingers, and look with amazement. It was the best of natural highs. I'll never forget it. One classmate came up to me in the hall and said -
"Excuse me, were you in my art class last year" she said.
"Yes, I was" I replied.
"My goodness. Did you lose a whole lot of weight or what?" she said.
"Yes" I replied.
"Man, you look great" she said.
I thanked her for the very nice compliment and continued walking down the hall. I don't think I'll ever forget that conversation or that classmate. She did more for me than she will ever know. She gave me the biggest confidence booster I ever received. Eventually, I would lose another thirty pounds bringing my waist size down to a thirty-four.
As I reflect back on the summer of 1986, I know this weight loss changed my life. I emerged from a fat depressed child with deep physical and emotional scars to a young man eager to accept and take on life's greatest challenges. These physical and emotional scars shaped my life as a person today. These scars required me to take a look at myself and be more accepting and protecting of other people's inadequacies, insecurities, and / or differences. In hindsight, however, this weight loss year was not all about losing weight. It was about facing hardships and overcoming. It was about relying on internal strengths of self discipline, courage, and perseverence. It was about a dream becoming a reality.
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