My Car Is "Overweight"

Some people are known by their first name at bars.  

I’m known by my first name at the UPS store thanks to 5 kids and amazon living.  

Our neighborhood UPS location is not my favorite, because the parking spaces are super tight. (Even the nice woman who works at the store agrees—it’s the worst parking lot ever.)

As I mentioned, I have a big family—one husband and five kids—so I’ve got a big car that fits seven people. Let’s just say, I’m not exactly driving a teeny VW bug! 

I carefully squeezed my car into a space. A tight fit, but I made it! Phew. I exhaled with relief, zipped into the store, and quickly dropped off my package. I was inside for sixty seconds, at most. 

As I came back out, I noticed a woman getting into the car next to mine. She was irritated and grumbling under her breath. (You know when people pretend they’re mumbling something, but they’re doing it jussst loud enough to make sure you can hear? That’s what she was doing.) 

She said, “Ugh, I can barely open my door and get into my car!”

Now, to be fair, she was 100% right because—as I mentioned—these parking spots are super narrow. She huffed into her car and drove off before I had a chance to apologize. 

I do feel badly that this woman struggled to get into her car, and I wish I could’ve apologized for the inconvenience. However, I’m not going to apologize for the size of my car—because with a family of seven, I need a car with seven seat belts. This is simply the type of car that I need to safely transport my loved ones around town. 

This whole situation got me thinking about size. Is it wrong for me to have a big car? Or, should parking spots be made to accommodate all sizes of vehicles? 

This is no different than seats at a restaurant, seats on an airplane, or seats at a baseball game. People living in bigger bodies going about their life shouldn’t have to apologize for their size.

Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a society that was designed to accommodate everyone, not just a select few?

Wouldn’t it be great if people didn’t feel like they needed to apologize for simply existing and taking up space and living their life? 

Wouldn’t it be great if lots were designed with generous spaces and ample room to turn around—so that a big car, a van from the local senior citizen center, or an ambulance could easily get in and out?

Wouldn’t it be great if all buildings (not just some) had ramps and elevators to accommodate wheelchairs? And braille signage? 

Wouldn’t it be amazing if clothing stores carried all sizes, so that people didn't have to shop online to find things that work? (And then cross their fingers and pray that the item actually fits, so they don’t have to go through the hassle of mailing it back?)

I want to live in a world that is thoughtfully designed to be welcoming to “one and all”—not just “some.”

Because nobody should be shamed for their size. Everyone is worthy and belongs and deserves a seat at the table. (Or a space in the parking lot.) Even if the person on the other side of the table doesn’t know their first name.