“Fat” is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her. I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me; but then, you might retort, what do I know about the pressure to be skinny? I’m not in the business of being judged on my looks, what with being a writer and earning my living by using my brain…

I went to the British Book Awards that evening. After the award ceremony I bumped into a woman I hadn’t seen for nearly three years. The first thing she said to me? ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you!’

‘Well,’ I said, slightly nonplussed, ‘the last time you saw me I’d just had a baby.’

What I felt like saying was, ‘I’ve produced my third child and my sixth novel since I last saw you. Aren’t either of those things more important, more interesting, than my size?’ But no – my waist looked smaller! Forget the kid and the book: finally, something to celebrate!

“I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny - a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons.”
— JK Rowling

(Source: yer-awizardamber)

…and I can’t help but think how my family and I don’t fit the statistics, how we’ve successfully assimilated into “American culture” and how we’re bilingual but English is more important than Spanish in my dad’s eyes. One quote stuck out to me: “The cultural division between Hispanics and Anglos…

Lucina! We read a response to this article in my spanish class (and the article was in Spanish, I’m so proud of myself!). Anyways, don’t forget this country is based on contributions from all different kinds of people under the sun. And you’re going to be one of those people who makes a huge contribution. 

Day 16: Future Tattoos

I would probably get “Happy Pie” tattooed in cursive on my shoulders or waist. 

Day 15: Current Grades

Well I don’t know, but I think probably A’s and B’s.