Never Underestimate A Fat Woman!

Faith Chatham Jan. 28, 2017

Message to Judge Bailey Moseley: Never underestimate a fat woman!

I have not seen Bailey Moseley since our high school days in the 1960s. However, my memory of him from those days doesn't place him in the category of lean and trim. I remember him as a studious, and rather non-descript teenager. Like most of us, he was a kid with potential and the average basket of adolescent flaws.

His tweet referring to the Women's March, if even if in jest, is unfortunate. Some folks inherit dna that makes being slim easier than the dna inherited by others. Personally, I am a fat woman. I thought of myself as a fat ugly person for the first thirty years of my life, even though photos of me as a teenager and young adult show that I was not particularly ugly and I was not fat. Now that I am old and I am definitely fat, I am strong enough to know my worth despite physical challenges.

I would LOVE to have been marching with those women but realized that mobility challenges would have made it more difficult that was prudent. Even though my feet were not actually marching, everything else about me was there marching with them, before, during, after and probably forever.

However, there is a lot that fat women, skinny women, young women, average women,old women, single women, married women, working women, stay home moms, stay home empty nesters, retired women, smart women, not exceptionally bright women, tall women, short women, white women, black women, immigrant women, native American women, Asian American women, Latina women, oh, and read this and know that it is true -- EAST TEXAS WOMEN, can do, whether we are in the streets, at our computers, out shopping, in public office, teaching, preaching, or merely the woman who you depend on to serve you coffee and pie.

Even though we were not "Buds" in HS, and I have not seen you in over 50 years, I really didn't think you were someone stupid enough to refer to one woman, let alone millions of women, as "FAT".
Any smart man knows better than to call any woman, even those of us who are of ample porportions, "FAT." Any smart person (of any gender) knows the force and determination of a pissed off woman. Most women, even those who are of perfect proportions (whatever that is). get pissed off when referred to as "FAT". Any smart person knows to be wary of a pissed off woman.

East Texas women are noted for being easy to get along with until they are disrespected. There is a level of tolerance folks get because smart people know to pick their battles and let certain things slide, up to a point. Then when someone steps over that line, and the tolerance ends, history demonstrates that is it wise to LOOK OUT. When things move beyond that line, there is something that happens. It's not planned. It's not premediated. When that watershed moment occurs and determination sets in, things happen. That's when talk stops and action takes over.

Since Bailey is from a long line of East Texas women, and his entire existence is dependent upon, and interconnected with, East Texas women, I trust that he is wise enough to realize that he is in exceptionally deep water. He had best begin dog paddling with all his might. College degrees, years on the bench, and membership in good ole boys clubs will not insulate him from encounters he cannot avoid by those who can wear velvet gloves, or boxing gloves, whenever and whereever he encounters them. If he hasn't been to confession lately, he'd probably better go. If he hasn't sought spiritual direction from a wise counselor lately, he probably should set down with one and seek a path out of the mire he has jumped into. He will need assistance from a power much greater than he is to get out of this one.

Best wishes Bailley. You are going to need every ounce of goodwill you can muster!