The fifties did happen, you know

The Notorious Bettie Page

Dearest Marilyn, 

To believe that you were the standard of beauty.  That you can not have a flat stomach, have your thighs touch at the top, have curves all over, wear a size ten and be the hottest sex symbol in America.  I am in the wrong time period.  Send me to where you can wear a size ten and it's no problem.  Send me to a time where you can have an hourglass figure, and it gets appreciated. 

I'm stuck here.  I'm you, Marilyn, but I'm stuck in now instead of then.  I appreciate you, M.  I appreciate me.  I appreciate all shapes and sizes.  Why don't other people appreciate back?  Who decided that the only pretty was stick 

thin?

These pictures remind me that you are real.  You were not petite, you had curves and you were fucking proud.  And you were the hottest thing since sliced bread.

I like my curves.  I like my hourglass figure.  I like my chest and my legs and my thighs.  I will not waste your time telling you what I don't like about me.

I think I will start channeling you to make me confident now, while I wait through weeks of my getting in shape.  That shit don't happen overnight you know.  But you give me hope, girl.  You and Bettie, and all those ladies.  I had another picture of you that was so beautiful and you were so curvy but my computer is dumb and won't let me upload it.  I'll show it later if I can.

You Are Beautiful, M.

And if you did it, so can I