Friend of Julie: Seat Belts

As I boarded the plane in Hartford this evening, I exchanged greetings with the stewardess and then continued down the isle towards my seat. I paused only in my mind; this time I did not need to ask for a seat belt extension.

As I walked toward my seat, my body did not bump against the seats or passengers. I didn't feel as if everyone was staring at me, or avoiding eye contact with me, and I didn't wonder if they werer thinking "oh no, I have to sit next to an obese woman all the way to Washington, DC."

When I told the man in my isle my seat was next to his by the window, his kind eyes met mine as he stood up to let me by. As I sat in my chair, I was happy that my chair "fit" and I wasn't spilling into the seat next to me.

I settled into the narrow seat, buckled my seatbelt, and even pulled it tighter by a couple inches.

This is the kind of weight loss that can't be measured on the scale, but it's epic!

I'm writing this post at Dulles airport, waiting for my connecting flight to LAX. I'll be in southern Calif. for the next two weeks, but I expect to be writing to the blog and moderating comments from the coastline. Be patient if your comments doesn't go up right away. I'll check in as often as I can to publish your comments.