So I'm planning this trip to Costa Rica, looking at possible activities I can do when I'm there, and I come upon parasailing. Now I've never given parasailing a second thought, but the moment I click on this webpage and see the pictures of people soaring above the beach, I know it is something I really really want to do. Even better, the parasailing company's website says something about 'all shapes and sizes' of people being able to participate in parasailing. Heck yes, I'm psyched! That is, until I read their FAQ a little closer and see that, to them, 'all sizes' means up to 250 pounds.
I know, I'm larger than most and I should be used to being excluded or not considered by now, but it felt like such a dirty trick for them to proclaim how accessible parasailing is when they really only mean it's accessible to non-fat people. It's as if they're saying. "not only can you not participate, we're going to pretend folks your size don't even exist."
That rejection of my very existence really pushed my buttons. In fact, if I hadn't booked my plane ticket already I probably would have decided to skip Costa Rica altogether. That's how much I hate being ignored and marginalized. But that's a whole lot of power to hand over to some employee of a Costa Rican parasailing company. Sure, fat travel has always been a challenge and I will probably encounter numerous occasions where I don't exactly fit and feel awkward and slightly uncomfortable, but that's no reason to not go.
Contestants on The Biggest Loser are always going on and on about how they have 'gotten their life back' by losing weight, and I kind of get what they mean. Spending your life safely on your sofa can be a really compelling idea when the alternative means always being uncomfortable or unsure, encountering messages at every turn that your body is wrong or invalid, or worse, dealing with outright discrimination and vitriol because of your size. So yeah, one way to deal with that is to hide in your house and wait for the day that your body looks like everyone else's. Or you could just choose to live now.
Luckily I've never been very good at waiting.
3 comments:
Please don't feel too ignored. The physics of parsailing means that all the operators have a weight rating which is determined by the size of the parasail and the power of the boat. Maybe this company didn't have the boat/sail needed for a 170kg takeoff. If you find a place that does double/triple rides then they should be able to accomodate you -- especially a triple rider setup with just you in the middle.
yeah, don't take that one too personally. it's no different from roller coasters saying 'you must be this tall to ride'. there are mechanical considerations and corresponding legal ramifications. just put it on the list of things you'll get to do when you hit your goal.
love you
brian
I think what you're offended by is the wording, though, isn't it? The "all shapes and sizes" which sort of implies that you're outside of what "all" is? I can see why that hurts. Seems like irresponsible advertising.
I liked what you said about not letting that employee hold power over you. That's an awesome statement!
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