I wrote this for The Regis Magazine, a local university publication. You can read it here, or watch/listen to me read it on my youtube . I'll also include the portraits of me featured in the issue! Some of the contributors and students A body is a beautiful thing. It deserves to be dressed up and complimented as well as made comfortable and accepted in all its flaws. Advertising is even starting to spread the message of body love and acceptance, claiming that ‘bodies of all shapes and sizes are beautiful,’ as a means to sell soap. And while it is true that all bodies are uniquely attractive, and worthy of appreciation, what’s missing from this dialogue is appreciation for our bodies as something entirely removed from physical beauty. What happens if we start thinking of our bodies as more than a means to attract others? As more than a decoration or even a means to express ourselves? What makes my body my own? Taking ownership over our bodies means attaching value...