Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A Swim Suit with Sleeves

I shopped for a new swimming suit with my daughter at Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, Florida during our last vacation. Honestly, I wasn't excited about trying on suits. This garment is usually overpriced, and I never like the way I look wearing one. However, my old suit was a size 28 and gaped immodestly.

I love Ron Jon. If I lived in Florida I'd don flip flops and shorts year-round, and Ron Jon has quite a selection of cool styles. Roxy is one of my favorite brands. The shop is open 24 hours a day, and we arrived early in the morning before the store was fully staffed.

After grabbing a few options in assorted sizes, my daughter and I made a beeline for one of the changing rooms.  A sense of relief washed over me as I spotted the woman monitoring the dressing rooms. She was a mature woman with greying hair and an average physique. She was not a sleek, hardbody teenage surfer who'd snicker at my saggy breasts, flabby abs and varicose veins.

It took some time, but I finally found a swimming suit that I felt comfortable wearing. Even my discriminating daughter gave it a thumbs up. I'm a sucker for a suit with a skirt. I call it a "fat flap" to my daughter's giggly delight. I maintain it's a master of disguise hiding some of my body's glaring imperfections, at least when it's dry.

Later that day, I tentatively slipped on my new suit surveying myself in the mirror. I performed the typical routine sucking in my gut, straightening my posture and hoisting my chest. My daughter looked speculatively over my shoulder and said in devastating sincerity, "Maybe you should have gotten a swimming suit with sleeves."

I broke down. After losing weight and exercising regularly, the underside of my upper arms resemble stretched, deflated balloons. I should have purchased a swimming suit with sleeves! Will I ever be able to go sleeveless in confidence?

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