Judy Bagshaw - continued

M2H -What was it that influenced you to start writing?

Judy - In some ways, the teaching has had an impact on what I choose to write. I have been plus sized all my life, and am very conscious of what outside attitudes and opinions can do to a fragile child's ego. I've had to deal with many the tearful broken heart when taunts and teasing hurt the fat kid in my class. I know what it feels like first hand.
I wanted to write short stories and novels that showed fat people living normal, full lives, stories where someone fell in love with the big girl or guy, stories where large people had self-esteem and dignity, stories that smashed the stereotypes.

M2H - Have you had any personal experience with negative attitudes that you had to over come?

Judy - Oh my, I could go on and on. I run across them every day still. Ignorance is all around us.
When I was in University, I was still struggling with self-esteem issues. I had two very good male friends I hung around with, and in their dorm was this awful guy named Duff, who took one look at me and decided I was fair game for his abuse. He constantly said demeaning, insulting, degrading things about how ugly and fat I was, how he couldn't understand what these friends saw in me, what a joke I was. It was horrendous to go through this on a regular basis. I cried buckets of tears. Then one day I was sitting in my friend's room having coffee and Duff arrived at the door. He started in on his usual routine with me and I just looked at him, but this time it seemed I had new eyes. And what I saw was a pitiful, insecure, immature, loser who used me to hide his own inadequacies. It was like an epiphany, so I opened my mouth and told him what I saw, very quietly and very calmly. He was stunned. He quite simply turned around and left, and I never ever had a problem with him again. I still get a rush thinking of that moment.

Another incident that was pivotal for me happened in high-school. I hated gym class and my gym teacher was a hard, demanding woman who ignored anyone outside of gym class who was not athletic. She could walk by and you might as well be invisible. I got involved in the drama club and we were entered in a one-act play competition in which this gym teacher was a judge. Well, my play won best play, and I got best actress. The next day, this teacher stopped me in the hall, very pleased to see me and held a ten-minute conversation with me. That episode taught me that if people perceive you have talents or abilities, they will overlook the package that talent comes in.

Continue....

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