Meanwhile......growing up in Dauphin

I don't usually like and share facebook posts.

I do, however, always feel guilty that I don't.  I feel like I'm going to miss out on a huge windfall of cash, or that if I don't share, there will never be a cure to cancer,   Those kind of things.  But, somehow the world seems to go despite my not sharing.

Today, there was one facebook post that gave me such complete and total joy that I could not help share.   It read:

"When you're a bigger size woman, people like to say, "Yeah, she's cute in the face."  As if being full figured is such a disgrace.  Honey, I'm cute in the face and thick in the waist.  I look good whether I'm in cotton, leather, or lace.  I'm beautiful, vibrant, and above all, smart.  There is more to me than my weight, I also have a heart. Yes, my clothes may be a bigger size, that just means you have access to a bigger prize.  We are all not self-conscious about our weight.  So don't think you're small frame gives you more pull, I'm a fabulous curvy with a figure that's full."

This post spoke to me !!  And, it had nothing to do with the fact that I have more chins than the proverbial Chinese phone book.

When I read this post, I thought, "wow, this chick oozes self-confidence!!!"  This woman knows who she is and is loud and proud !!!   But, I knew this before she posted this post.   A woman has to be oozing with self-confidence in order to hyphen her maiden name with a married name.  That takes confidence in itself.   But, if takes over the top self-confidence when your maiden name is Matlashewski and your married name is Yakielashek.  Now, that is confidence !!  Matlashewski Yakielashek.   Yeah, that roles off your tongue like butter !!!

But, I get it.  I grew up in Dauphin.  We have big names and big personalities !!!  We are not afraid to be who we are !  I was always a little jealous of people who had these big names and big personalities to go with them.  When announcements were read in high school, no one had trouble pronouncing Dowhaniuk, Ziemanski, Lulashnyk.... those were easy words.  Ireland.  Well, no one in Dauphin really knew how to pronounce or spell that.

Something about growing up in Dauphin.  We got this one.  We have confidence.

I spent one summer in Dauphin asking random strangers if they wanted to see my giant beaver.  Yes, I worked at the Tourist Bureau next to our town statue, a giant Beaver.  You have to have confidence to spend a summer doing that !!

Whenever, I have been on the verge of a physical fight with a drunk poker player, I always say, "Hey, I can take you.  I'm from Dauphin."  They always back down.  I always have to feel just a little sorry for those who came from anywhere but Dauphin !!!