Lived Through This
What It’s Like to Be That Fat Person Sitting Next to You on the Plane
Have you ever tried to fit into a space made for someone else?
My breath tightens immediately when the call comes. It’s my boss’s boss, telling me there’s an important meeting in another city. Or maybe it’s a friend, inviting me to her wedding in California. Sometimes, it’s a family member whose health is failing and the time has come to say goodbye.
The news hits hard — it’s a high-pressure time for my job, friend, family. My heart is pounding and my breath is tightening. I close my eyes, feel my feet on the ground and my breath in my throat, trying desperately to avoid the embarrassment of a full-blown panic attack at work.
I will have to get on a plane. And I am fat.
There is a common trope about this very situation, shown frequently on TV, in illustrations, and in casually irritated conversation. Fat people are shown on planes all the time: loud, obnoxious, elbowing people, taking up…
