She's My Hero

Yesterday I did a post about my now outed social anxiety disorder. Having had it for years, I have often wondered why couldn't I have neurosis that I was unaware of. I meet absolutely bat-shit crazy people all the time that seem to have no clue that they are complete train wrecks. I want to be surprised by my craziness one day, instead of having people say "Wow, you seem so normal for a walking emotional time bomb."

However yesterday I had what I call a coping day, where I just make it a goal to get through the day with a minimum of self criticism. On a coping day, you do something really special for yourself. Which for me means one thing and one thing only; Bojangles Fried Chicken. Everyone has a coping mechanism, I drown my sorrows in spicy Cajun fried chicken.

Now a little more background information is necessary. I believe that the Universe, or God, or whatever it is that people believe in according to their individual faith always can be counted on to send you exactly what you need when you need it the very most. I always get the "Meaningful Spiritual Message Disguised As A Random Event For Dummies" version because I must have the largest, most obvious one because subtle, private messages fly right over my big hair.

Now back to this afternoon. So self conscious person that I am, I still go inside to order because I hate ordering food at drive-thru windows so much. It is high supper time in Valdosta at seven o'clock and the restaurant is completely full. The couple in front of me allowed me to go ahead of them since they hadn't made up their minds yet on exactly what part of the fried chicken they wanted, they just seemed a bit distracted by something that wasn't on the menu. I put my order in and went to get my drink. While waiting for my fried delight, I realized that everyone in the restaurant was staring intently at someone.

Though thankfully it wasn't me.

There, completely alone and by herself, was a woman happily eating an entire bucket of chicken with obvious lip smacking enthusiasm.

While wearing a bathing suit.

Yes, I did say a bathing suit.

We are not conveniently near a beach, nor is there a pool behind Bojangles.

At some point the afternoon, this woman stopped whatever she was doing in her bathing suit and drove into town to get some fried chicken.

She was a big old girl too, and I mean in the poundage area. I'm guessing around
5'2" and about three hundred pounds give or take a few.

It was a one piece with a little, very little ruffled skirt.

It didn't cover much of anything.

I stared too.

But not derisively. Nor was anyone else giving her an appalled look. I think we were all frozen in some sort of speechless amazement that anyone could be so happily oblivious to all the expected social taboos they were recklessly breaking.

I have adopted her as my new symbol of psychological bravery. How many feminine phobias were broken in that one defiant act? Let's see: eating alone at a restaurant, wearing a bathing suit in public, eating a non-salad in a public environment and eating non-diet food with such obvious gusto and a complete disregard for utensils or recognized Western table manners.

She's my hero. That is one balls out kinda woman.

She also had a trash can sized drink and I hope in keeping with her "screw social mores" theme, that it was filled with high octane sweet tea and not nasty diet soda.

She should give classes on self esteem, with the graduating act being a large public meal eaten in one's bathing suit right in the center of the restaurant.

Bravissimo brave stranger; in one random act you have made me a better woman.

Love and Kisses,

Cult Diva