Why I want to lose weight.

Today's featured weight loss article on Spark really got my attention. It is worth the read if you can locate the exact article and I'll include a link at the end of this blog. In short the thesis of the writer is to concentrate on what I will be able to do as motivation for my weight loss journey. In thinking about this concept one very specific incident came to mind, one that hurts, but in that pain I find motivation to lose weight.
In a previous job I flew around the Midwest often. I was a frequent customer on Southwest Airlines and their fleet of 737 jets. At that time my weight was either right at or just above the 400 pound mark. While I did fit in a single seat and could buckle my seat belt, often I found myself sitting by myself or the seat next to me was the last one filled on the plane. I never understood why, that is until I overheard the conversation of a flight attendant.
This rather petite young lady was "dead heading" her way home on my flight from Chicago Midway to St. Louis. She was the last to board the plane and the only seat was next to me. She sat down, greeted me, and we visited for a bit before take off. Once in the air I noticed she got up, moved to the back of the plane and started helping our flight crew get things ready. I thought this to be normal. As our flight progressed the Captain told us of a weather delay for us getting into Lambert Field in St. Louis. So I took the extra time to walk back and use the restroom. I noticed this same flight attendant had taken one of the "jump" seats in the back rather than returning to my row. No big deal until on my way back to my seat I over heard her talking with one of her co-workers about preferring to sit in the back and help than sit next to the fat guy in that row. It seems that I blobbed over into her space in the small seats. It took sometime for me to realize that she was talking about me, and how I oozed into her personal space. Suddenly things made sense. Now I understood why the seat next to me was always the last one filled. From that time on I always tried to grab an isle seat so that I could lean away from the person sitting next to me. After all who wants to invade another's space? Still deep inside in my spirit her comments hurt, and cut deeply. How deeply, well those comments were made back in 1998 and I can still see them clearly in my minds eye. I suspect this young lady was only saying what many others have felt who had to sit next to me. Now one of my weight loss motivations is that the next time I'm on an airplane I am going to fit comfortably in the seat and leave plenty of "air space" next to me for others. I now weight 275 and continuing to get smaller and healthier. I do not fly any longer as part of my job but I will make this goal on a pleasure flight. Perhaps that pleasure flight will be to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals. Who knows, that same young lady may even be the flight attendant for that flight. Yes, sometimes it is good to revisit why and what I will be able to do with my new body.

https://www.sparkpeople.com/
resource/motivation_articl
es.asp?id=2319