Changing MY Conversation

All this motion right now about this "tutus are lame" SELF magazine scandal has been INTENSE. I sat with my SELF magazine today and flipped through most of the magazine not really seeing anything that would raise an eyebrow (other than debating whether or not their models are photoshopped) and found the infamous picture tucked away at the end of the magazine and it made me think - what IF the situation was different?

My friends and I have tossed around the great idea that the magazine should have just dressed up an intern in a tutu if they were going to make fun of it and you have to ask yourself, would you have really cared then if the magazine called wearing a tutu silly? I mean REALLY cared?

If they had taken the picture off the web, or if Monika didn't happen to have cancer at the time that picture was taken, or if no one who knew Monika or Tara saw the pic, would the reaction have been different?

Think about this - "Be kind to every person you meet because you never know what someone else could be going through. "

Now, I don't want to assume anything about you, but I know 2 things about me: 1) I am awesome. 2) I have made fun of people when I knew they would never find out. Perhaps you have too and you can relate. Now, I am not a popular fitness magazine, I didn't request someone's photo under false pre-tenses, and I do not condone what this magazine did, BUT I think if we really want to change the conversation, we need to also think of the conversations we have with our friends...about other people...when we feel confident that they won't find out what we have said about them. 

I love the girl empowerment and the runner love and the tutu support. That being said, I think in reality we have all said something mean about someone at some point. Even something mean about ourselves - and that is no better. What is it with human nature that makes us feel better about ourselves when we put someone else down? How can women who are role models for other women hate on themselves? How can we #changetheconversation? Well, I am going to start with me as that seems the best place to start. 

I am going to change MY conversation.

I am going to use this incident as a learning experience: be careful of what you say and do as you never know what might come of it. And, most importantly, don't say anything about anyone that you wouldn't feel comfortable saying to their face.