BOOK REVIEW: Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers

Waisted by Randy Susan Meyers represents the internal, pained voice of far too many women. It is a brave story that underscores the desperate need for self-acceptance first and foremost instead of relying upon or even expecting social approval of our bodies, and by extension, our entire existence, and claim to space. Through the lives and experiences of three characters, we get a tiny glimpse as to the many whys causing women to beat themselves up over how others perceive them. How the female body is forever under attack, securitized, and emotionally persecuted by those who feel perfectly entitled to deliver inappropriate, tactless, cruel, gauche comments. The deeper I read, the more vulnerable and exposed I became. I cried for these characters. I got angry for what they were put through. The story made me take a long, hard look at the many dynamic women in my circle, and I vowed to be a stronger, fiercer, more vocal advocate for our collective shared safe space. I truly appreciate how the author, Randy Susan Meyers, created characters––real women with realistic voices, and authentic lives. Heads up: This is not a weight loss story full of puerile platitudes, but a raw inside, no excuse look into women, weighed down by more than mere flesh, and how they are left to face the vicious scrutiny of offhanded offensive comments and behaviors. And then, once the damage is done, how they are then expected to heal from the deep wounds and scars dumped on them by others vile misconceptions and callousness. Despite how these three women in the story were shadowed by humiliation and taunted by insecurities, the story interrupts the expected outcome, blasts the assumptions, and allows for growth and self-determination. The well-delivered candid dialogue and storyline propelled me into reconsidering my relationship to health and wellness. I thought about my body awareness and that inner, less accepting voice rattling around in my head, and I didn't like what I allowed to subvert. Subsequently, I have a made a reawakened commitment to elevating my own inner voice, while actively muting the others. Most empowering.