Honk If You Are Sexy

Published on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 by Katherine

Blogher has created an intriguing campaign about women owning their own beauty. Recently, bloggers have been writing about finding their own sexy. I never thought to participate, until I recently discovered my own.

Face it. I was never sexy. Not even back in the day. After all, I come from a long line of women who sport what we call Mosblech Legs. When all the girls were getting flowers on Valentine’s Day, I hid in my room and pretended I just didn’t care.

Fast forward to now. I have had years of weight loss and weight gain. I have birthed three children. I am 45 years old and know that the honk I just heard was for a young lady behind me. I’ve got wrinkles, stretch marks and damn you, perimenopause… be gone!

How many times have I had the opportunity to try something and politely declined? Golf? Oh no, you go ahead. Paint? I can’t even draw a circle. Baseball? I was never really good in PE.

Indeed, I was always the last one picked. I fall in public. I throw like a girl. And yes, I have tossed the bowling ball backwards in to the crowd.

So when I walked in to the gym several weeks ago, fear hit me like a ton of bricks. And the free weight corner in the back where all the guys were? Bah! Let me just sit quietly on the exercise bike and get some cardio done.

But going to the gym with your teen athlete boys has its benefits. They know these machines. And were happy to teach me. Furthermore, new members get four free personal training sessions. With waves of shyness flooding over me, I meekly asked, “Where do I sign up?”

Several weeks later, I believe I have discovered a new sexy. What do you mean I can’t do it? I’ll SHOW YOU I can do it. That is my new motto. If one of the machines or floor exercises feels too hard, I get mad and do it double the next time.

My greatest moment? When my trainer noticed my biceps on a particular machine and said, “Wow, you are strong.”

Who knew I had this in me?

Sexy doesn’t have to be a flat tummy or perfectly shaped eyes. It doesn’t have to be high heels and flawlessly golden skin. Sexy is pulling something out of you that you didn’t know you had. Sexy is being strong at 45 years old, or at any age, no matter what that personal strength of yours is.

Have any of you, men or women, found something inside of yourselves that you didn’t know you had? Or is there something you have always wanted to try but haven’t challenged yourself to attempt yet?

Oh, and one more thing. If I give you a dollar, will you honk at me?