My friend Heidi posted a link to a Huffington Post article, My “Naked” Truth yesterday. It's Robin Korth’s account of dating a man who enjoyed her “head and heart” but not her body.
He told her he couldn’t get turned on by her physically because she was “too wrinkly.”
After reading the piece, I found that I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
First it just made me sad that this is where we are in the United States in 2014. That despite all of our technological advances we are still so emotionally immature towards one another as individuals and as one gender relating to another. It also implies that we are woefully unaware of the power of words to harm one another and the pain that judgment brings.
Brené Brown tells us, the primary shame trigger for women is our bodies.
We women are all intensely aware of what we look like and are usually our own worst critics. So for Dave (the guy in the article) to not understand how hurtful his words and rejection of Robin’s body were to her is just plain stupid.
As my husband said to me after I read him the article, this is about objectifying women. Wanting the woman to live up to an image he has rather than the ability to actually see, love and accept what is right in front of him.
It made me sad too that this is the world of dating for older women.
I was reminded of some of the comments my father used to make about women. “She’s too overweight” or “she looks my age.” He often dated women decades younger than he was. Perhaps they were more nubile but what did they have in common?
Then one day I wondered, “What was he bringing to the table?”
The spare tire encircling his waist, his gray, balding head, wrinkles. Why was it okay for him to be imperfect, old, saggy and not her? It shouted of being a double standard. Yet most women are used to this and maybe that’s the worst part of all. That, having been objectified or pummeled by societal expectations of beauty for so long, we think it’s okay for men to have false expectations.
Fortunately, Robin provides us with a silver lining in her article.
Instead of accepting Dave’s words and allowing herself to be shamed, she took her power back. And she’s absolutely right. We all deserve to be loved exactly for who we are, what we look like clothed and naked, and for all of our opinions, beliefs and quirks.
That love starts with us, with us accepting ourselves exactly as we are from head to toe.
Read Robin's article and tell me what you think! (click here)
If you’re a woman, have you ever had something similar happen to you?
If you’re a man, how can you relate to what Robin experienced?
Leave a comment below! Let’s start a dialog.
Sign up to receive regular news from me! It's free!