One afternoon, Sara, one of my best friends in the world, called me. As soon as I answered, she said, "Have you read this month's 'Hey It's OK'?" I told her that I unfortunately, had not had the chance to read the "Hey It's OK" section of this month's Glamour."OK, well you need to read it right now," she told me, with urgency. Seeing as we both read Glamour like it's the law, she knew I'd have the new copy nearby. "It's your perfect one," she continued.
I opened it and began to read…
"Hey It's OK…
If you are not a cat person…or a dog person.
If you are completely honest about how someone's butt looks in their jeans.
If you haven't done yoga for months, but you still tell people you're 'really into yoga'…"
As it continued, I realized that it really was my perfect "Hey It's OK" and I got to thinking about the yoga thing.
I truly did go through a period, for about a year, where I was really into yoga. And, if I had the time and money, I would still like to do it regularly. So, if you think about it, I really am really into yoga, I just lack the necessary resources.
Or maybe, I am kind of a poser.
Isn't it funny, how easy it is to believe something about ourselves that we want to believe? When I tell people that I am into yoga, in my head, I think I sound pretty awesome. I can't wait for the day when someone says, "I remember you did yoga about three years ago, are you still into it?" And I will smile and say, "Oh ya, I am really into yoga." Then that moment will come when they say, "Great! Me too! Let's go to the really-advanced professional-level-awesome-at-yoga-class!"
Similarly, and also shockingly addressed in the same "Hey It's OK," is the issue of animals.
When you tell someone that you're just not really an animal person, you're instantly judged. It's kind of like telling someone you don't like kids. Who doesn't like kids? Who doesn't like puppies? Luckily, I adore kids. However, animals are not really my thing.
It's like yoga, because I tried to pretend I liked animals for a long time. I'd act like I wanted to pretend like we were cats instead of people when I was little. But, in my head I was thinking, why would you want to be a cat instead of a person? They can't even talk.
At some point, I realized that I didn't like touching them, or playing with them, or cleaning up after them. Slowly, I began to be able to say it: "I'm just not really an animal person."
To this day, I am judged. I see the look on someone's face when I admit the truth. First, it's confusion. The point where they ask themselves, "Who doesn't like animals?" And then, when they realize, me- that's who, they judge me. Generally people don't try to hide their judgment. But I guess I wouldn't hide it that well if someone told me they don't like babies. Besides, I handle the stress of being judged through weekly yoga classes.
