What do you like about your body

[Shanazel]

I am only 5ft 7.

Dipali: To paraphrase the words of the hookah smoking catapillar to Alice in Wonderland: I am 5'7" tall and find it a perfect height. My feet touch the ground when I sit in tall chairs and I can reach the produce in the back of the bin and the hats on the top shelf of the closet. What else could I possibly want out of life?

 

[Aisha Azar]

Alice

Dipali: To paraphrase the words of the hookah smoking catapillar to Alice in Wonderland: I am 5'7" tall and find it a perfect height. My feet touch the ground when I sit in tall chairs and I can reach the produce in the back of the bin and the hats on the top shelf of the closet. What else could I possibly want out of life?

Dear Shanazel,
I LOVE Alice in Wonderland! I used to read it frequently when I was a kid. Here is one of my favorite poems ( to the cadence of "How doth the little busy bee"), from memory:

How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail
And spread the waters of the Nile on every golden scale
How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads his claws
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws


Regards,
A'isha,
In her blue pinafore and hair ribbon, white stockings, black Mary Janes, and hands clasped in front of her.


PS:.... er... please excuse any digression from the topic at hand....

 

[Moon]

Dear Moon,
I am almost 55 years old. Last Fall a nice looking 21 year old guy tried to pick me up and I have to tell you.... it felt pretty darn good!!

LOL, and I consider 21 year old guys too young for me! :lol:
I guess I just like men better than boys

 

[Aisha Azar]

Body, etc

LOL, and I consider 21 year old guys too young for me! :lol:
I guess I just like men better than boys

Dear Moon,
I find that it depends entirely on the man or boy. I know 15 years olds who have more maturity than men 3 times their age. I am married to a man who is 58 years old and I adore him. That does not mean there are not some really fine 20 year olds out there, too!! For me, its the same way with dancing. I feel that there are a lot of young dancers who bring much to the dance, and yet, so many people hold their youth against them instead of recognizing them as young, georgeous dancers who bring a breath of fresh air to the stage. ( I am talking here about people who can actually dance, not those who just get up on stage to look good.) One of the sayings that is somewhat popular is that one that goes something like, "A woman does not even have anything to dance about until she's at least 30". Bert Balladine ought to have his mouth washed out with soap for starting THAT nonsense. Once one is past childhood, she/he has a wealth of experience and feeling to share through the dance. Older dancers are not necessarily better than younger ones. We just come from a different place.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[adiemus]

I'm so glad I'm 5'3" (and a half), it's a fantastic height! And I am in love with my age - I've waited 43 years to get to 43, and let me tell you, it's worth the wait!! Height is a state of mind, I find that people think I'm taller than I am, and I still *feel* short because my sister has the legs of a supermodel!!

The changes my body is going through as it matures are great, more grounded, more stable, arms that can hold my kids, legs that touch the ground and walk around and dance, eyes that can see *everything* (especially what the kids don't want me to see!!) and waaaaaaaay more confidence to do things, say things, wear things I would never have done when I was younger.

But at heart I'm a 4 year old - such a cool age of discovery and independence with the vulnerability to know that it's OK to go back to someone older and wiser than me for a cuddle!

Janaki thank you so much for starting this thread, I've read it over the past couple of days and it really makes my day.

 

[Moon]

Dear Moon,
I find that it depends entirely on the man or boy. I know 15 years olds who have more maturity than men 3 times their age. I am married to a man who is 58 years old and I adore him. That does not mean there are not some really fine 20 year olds out there, too!! For me, its the same way with dancing. I feel that there are a lot of young dancers who bring much to the dance, and yet, so many people hold their youth against them instead of recognizing them as young, georgeous dancers who bring a breath of fresh air to the stage. ( I am talking here about people who can actually dance, not those who just get up on stage to look good.) One of the sayings that is somewhat popular is that one that goes something like, "A woman does not even have anything to dance about until she's at least 30". Bert Balladine ought to have his mouth washed out with soap for starting THAT nonsense. Once one is past childhood, she/he has a wealth of experience and feeling to share through the dance. Older dancers are not necessarily better than younger ones. We just come from a different place.
Regards,
A'isha

Very true. I've never met a very grown up young guy yet, but I'm sure they must exist. However if I'm allowed to make just one shallow remark: I think I also prefer older guys looks-wise

Adiemus your post is great! I already notice I'm more confident now than I was 5 years ago I hope it will get better and better, just like with you.

 

[KuteNurse]

Awesome thread! I am having a blast reading everyone's posts! Thanks Janaki! I can't say enough how I treasure each and everyone of you. Even though we have not met in person, I feel a special bond and I feel so lucky to have met such wonderful people with the same passion of Belly Dancing.

Dipali, my son is 19 and he is 5'7". I do not think he will grow much taller right now too. 5'7" is a great height for a man. Today at work, one of my patients had some dwarfism, so I think we all are very lucky if we are of a normal height. Along with dwarfism, comes other health concerns, such as heart conditions etc...Not to mention the insecure feelings and the teasing of children and how they play into it.

I have always felt insecure about my age...I just had my 41st birthday earlier in the month and I kept thinking it was getting harder and harder. Then I realized something, that I do have experience in the world and that younger women and men do look up to my wisdom. I have great hair or so my hairdresses says...Lots of blonde locks which is really thick. I have blue eyes and many people comment on the color of them. My skin is smooth and I just have a few small wrinkles below my eyes. I am large breasted, which I do not care much about, but my husband seems to like it.:shok: I like my height...5'4" tall. Not to tall, not too short. I have a crooked toe on both feet that I seemed to have inherited from my great-grandmother, and I passed it onto my son. My husband fondly teases me about it all the time. He also jokes that my son was not switched in the hospital at birth. lol What I like about myself the most is my friendly and kind personality.

 

[janaki]

Dear Aisha, that sure must have been a nice experience. I do tend to find older women look more attractive.

I guess at my age you can't really say that about being picked up by younger men (It's mostly three year olds saying "I want to marry you when I grow up'! LOL).

LOL Yashka!!! When my little boy was between 3 - 6, he used to tell me "mommy, I love you very much, when I grow up I will marry you, just like daddy". Right now one of friendls little boy wants to marry me and he wants to give me his mom's diamond earrings!!! So cute!!!

There is nothing wrong with having some fun with 20 yr old mature men A'isha. As you get older it gets harder to get noticed. Thank god, people still ask me out from time to time. Once they know I am married, it is a different story, of course!!LOL
.
Adiemus, you and I are of same age and almost same height. I am 5' 4". I was a wild child being only girl in a seven generations in my family. As I grew, I have changed. I didn't try to change. You just get matured, clam and grounded. I love my age. I feel like a complete women now.

Hi all,

I am very happy to see how many beautiful things we have. I feel so happy and energised to read this thread. Tks for sharing your beauty with me.

Bug hug
Janaki

 

[Aniseteph]

:think:
I'm not bad for fortysomething - tall, statuesque? and hourglassy. I don't think there's anything I hate, even the ancient stretchmarks.
Nothing has gone seriously south yet, and my behind is in better shape than it's ever been.
Only a few grey hairs which I don't tweak out anymore in case they turn into a sophisticated streak

It all still works, and can still learn new things.

I used to be thinner (didn't we all...) but always worried about being too fat. Now I'm a bit bigger but happier about it. Acceptance came with age, but positively liking my body and thinking hey that is actually pretty good came from belly dance. :dance:

 

[Yshka]

Dear Yshka,
That made me laugh!! But, seriously, I think you are just beautiful, and I bet guys try to hit on you all the time. You might just be oblivious to it.
Regards,
A'isha

Dear A'isha, thank you for the loveliest compliment!! THAT really made me smile!! Thank you! You truly are a beautiful lady with a very kind personality. I'm happy to have met you here. This goes also for every one of you beautiful ladies (and gentlemen ofcourse) here. Like Kutenurse said, even though we haven;t met in person, I feel like I've known you for a long time and even miss you in forum-less times.

I meant that when guys much younger pick me up at my age, a lot younger would mean maybe 3... lol. There are younger guys though, like 16 year old guys who come up to flirt with me. Thing is at that age many are just boys and I tend to go for older anyhow, like Moon said, also looks-wise (both men and women, as I must admit after that confession on the 'tell one thing new' thread.)
When somebody hits on me usually I notice, but sometimes I can be oblivious to it, forming rather funny situations (I don't always immediately get everything that's going on around me :lol.

About height, at 5"1 I know what being small means. The best compliment I ever got about my height was after a performance at my troupemate's prom. "Gosh, she's so tiny but she filled the entire stage..."
I will never forget it. I don't mind being tiny though. I think my features are all just right and together they make a nice general picture. I think I have nothing to complain bodywise.
I wanted to comment on something else too... It's too late now though, I have to be off to bed. Goodnight to you all!

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dance, etc.

Dear Yshka,
In either the dance instruction or dance styles area of the forum, there is a new member who is worrying about being short and how that might affect her dancing. The thread is called "Short Dancer". Can you please respond to her? It sounds like she is having some problems.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Serpentessa]

Thank you for this thread.

It is very gratifying and affirming whenever I read about people such as ourselves who are embodying the concept of aging gracefully to the best of our individual abilities. It ain't easy.... I sure feel that as I grow into my 5th decade. But gone are the many years I wished I was a boy because I felt betrayed by my body, it's complications, illness and many imperfections.

I do believe our beloved dance form, by virtue of its expressiveness of the music and our emotions, keeps us centered in the truth that the body is the temple of the soul. Speaking for myself, once I am in touch with my soul, I can then drag my butt into class, into practice, into rehearsal, etc, work out the kinks, receive the ongoing physical benefits and feel grateful to be alive. Although I definitely wish it was as easy for people as it is for the snake who personifies the grace of movement and the stillness of the dance from birth and without any ongoing effort! Cats are like that too aren't they?

Sssssss,
Serpentessa

 

[Dev]

height ..

Hello everybody ,
Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. I feel quite tall now.I am not depressed because of my height, but I feel envy when I see tall people. The shaking bit was over dramatised .

Now I am going a bit off topic here, Dear Aisha and everybody who recieves such lovely compliments , I think I know how you girls feel when younger guys or an attractive guy tries to pick you up, But how do you feel when a women make suggestions, do you feel the same way, I mean do you get the Goosebumps. I don’t know how politely I can ask you the question.

Regards
Dev
From his spiritual mind.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Body

Hello everybody ,
Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words. I feel quite tall now.I am not depressed because of my height, but I feel envy when I see tall people. The shaking bit was over dramatised .

Now I am going a bit off topic here, Dear Aisha and everybody who recieves such lovely compliments , I think I know how you girls feel when younger guys or an attractive guy tries to pick you up, But how do you feel when a women make suggestions, do you feel the same way, I mean do you get the Goosebumps. I don’t know how politely I can ask you the question.

Regards
Dev
From his spiritual mind.

Dear Dipali,
I was not sure if you meant when women make suggestions to men or when women make suggestions to other women. I am okay with either thing. Actually, I have had a few females approach me in my time, and it has not been a problem. One of my most memorable compliments after I got done dancing came from a woman, who told me, "Honey, you just make me want to bite!". Re:women letting men know they are attractive, I am never afraid to let anyone know that I find them beautiful or handsome. I think we need to spend more time being up front about the good things as well as the bad.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Shanazel]

Dear Dipali, I feel exactly the same way when a woman makes a gentle pass as I do when a man makes one- flattered, but not interested in picking up on it. People don't exactly make passes at me every day, though, so I am pleasantly surprised when someone has the good taste to do so:lol:. I suppose my favorite thing about my body is the way I can move it around- dance, hike, sew, write, sing. I had a very bad bout of arthritis a few weeks ago and wondered if I was ever again going to be able to get out of a chair without grimacing. Since it got better, I am doubly grateful for being able to simply walk up a hall without limping, much more grateful for still being able to dance. Shanazel

 

[da Sage]

Dear Janaki, and everybody
I wish I could be as happy as you all with my body, I get several minor shakes when I stand next to a tall person, due to lack of inches I developed this terrible self consciousness. I am only 5ft 7.

Hi Dipali, I think 5'7" is a fine height for a man. To be entirely frank, I have had mad crushes on men who are 5'2" and 5'6", so 5'7" doesn't seem an odd height to me at all...actually, I think it is my brother's height, and I don't think it's ever occured to him to feel uncomfortable about that.

 

[charity]

what do i like about my body? a lot. i have thin legs, ok scrawny, but a round, high butt, so i am often guesstimated to be 5'8" though i'm only 5'6". except i have noticed butt is dropping, relaxing but the gym can fix this.

i like the squareness of my shoulders, even though its kind of boyish, i think it makes me look strong. and i have a very flat stomach plus i love my back and how the skin not exposed to daylight is so smooth colored but is sprinkled with freckles on top of my shoulders and down my arms where the light touches.

i have beauty marks in neat places, its a good contrast to my otherwise colorless skin. in one spot, it looks like someone dripped chocolate down my body. and the beauty mark i have on my face i have grown to appreciate even though my sis says i should bleach it out.

of course i love my strength and amazing endurance despite my appearance. and good health of course means everything.

those things that i dont like i have learned i can contour/improve by hitting the gym. and that is the thing i am most grateful for, the ability to sculpt my body into a body type that i find attractive.

 

[KuteNurse]

Dear Dipali, I feel exactly the same way when a woman makes a gentle pass as I do when a man makes one- flattered, but not interested in picking up on it. People don't exactly make passes at me every day, though, so I am pleasantly surprised when someone has the good taste to do so:lol:. I suppose my favorite thing about my body is the way I can move it around- dance, hike, sew, write, sing. I had a very bad bout of arthritis a few weeks ago and wondered if I was ever again going to be able to get out of a chair without grimacing. Since it got better, I am doubly grateful for being able to simply walk up a hall without limping, much more grateful for still being able to dance. Shanazel

I was recently hit on by a female in a coffee shop listening to a band. I met a friend to listen to the band and we were sitting on a red velvet couch of all things...lol A lady turned around and said, you look striking sitting on that red couch! I was shocked at first, not quite sure what to say, but I graciously thanked her, but I am not interested in female attention for more than a good friend. (Although, I think she was looking for something more.) I love my husband dearly and he is truly my soulmate for life

 

[janaki]

I luuuuuuuv men Dev!!! If they are straight (especially doctors and pilots)it is even better. LOL. As far as compliments goes, I can take from both men and women. Suggestive beahaviour doesn't excite me if it come from women.

 

[Fire Lily]

My fingernails are my assets.
When you consider i used to be a chronic biter. I'm now proud to state that they measure 1 1/2 Cm. And yes. I have measured them!

I have a cute 'dance belly' Although my mum thinks it's just fat:lol:

I'm quite short but strong.

And i'm good with animals. I blame that entirely on my gentle nature and personality.

I was raised with good manners as well, and learned to be greatful for the things i do have, and not greedy for the things i don't.