A Strange Reaction by Kayla Whaley

Below are a few excerpts from a blog post by Kayla Whaley about body image and disability first published November 5, 2014.

Not unlike a lot of people (girls especially), I’ve always had a complicated relationship with my appearance. Mostly, it was a negative one. It got worse as I got older. I did the typical avoiding the mirror while I brushed my teeth thing. I wore long sleeves even in the middle of summer because I hated my arms. In class, I sat with my chin in my hands, strategically pushing the skin backward to try to slim down my face. I hated being in pictures.

None of this makes me special or unique, which is a tragedy in its own right.

But it’s important, because it’s the reason I’ve been trying to take more selfies. It’s why the process of taking selfies is painful. I have to scroll through (and delete) a LOT of pictures that accentuate what I think of as flaws. It reminds me that while I’ve worked so hard to love my appearance, it’s still a challenge.

Read the full post: http://kaylawhaley.com/2014/11/05/a-strange-reaction/

Kayla Whaley

From her About page:

Kayla is a writer, reader, self-proclaimed geek, and pumpkin spice enthusiast.

She’s a graduate of the 2014 Clarion Writers’ Workshop. She writes speculative fiction, including both short stories and novels. While she sometimes ventures into the adult and middle grade waters, her focus is on young adult contemporary fantasy.

Outside of writing, she co-moderates Disability in Kidlit, works as a personal assistant, and holds a Master’s in Public Administration. The latter she puts to use working with the Atlanta Young Writers’ Institute, a nonprofit dedication to encouraging middle and high school writers.

You can find her on Twitter @PunkinOnWheels.

Photo Credit: Isadora Pennington.