I was offered a seat on the bus
By Lena Kovadlo
@lovebuglena (52137)
Staten Island, New York
August 25, 2024 9:53am CST
I was on the bus a few days ago. This lady looked at me and offered me a seat. I told her, “No thank you. I’m ok.” She got up anyway and kept insisting that I sit down, even after I kept telling her I’m okay and don’t want to sit down and she can have her seat. I thought she’d be doing it the whole ride but finally she gave up and sat back down.
I wondered why she wanted me to sit down so badly. Then it hit me. When she first looked at me, she looked down at my belly. She must have thought I was pregnant. Why automatically assume that just because you see a belly on a female?
I am not pregnant. I just have a belly that won’t go away. I call it a food belly but maybe that’s not correct. I used to be skinny but after turning thirty that has changed. And now I’m 41 and the belly is still here. It can get smaller or bigger but it never goes away. I will probably never be skinny again.
9 people like this
9 responses
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Aug 24
You know what happens when people assume things lol. I wonder how people feel when they think I am pregnant, and maybe even congratulate me, and I tell them I am not.
1 person likes this
@porwest (112812)
• United States
29 Aug 24
@lovebuglena I have seen MANY women I was SURE was pregnant but kept my mouth shut. Because being wrong about that can be dangerous. lol
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
30 Aug 24
@porwest By the same token, men have bellies but we don't assume they are pregnant lol. I get that biologically they can't get pregnant and that's why we don't but still. We don't assume in their case so we shouldn't assume in women's case either.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Aug 24
I don't eat a lot of sugar. And I don't eat a lot of baked stuff (bread, pastries, etc.) or pasta or a lot of fatty stuff either. Wonder why the belly?
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (57233)
•
25 Aug 24
@lovebuglena That's where most of the fat seems to accumulate. I had a problem with that years ago , since l changed my diet it has gone and l weigh 110 lbs.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Aug 24
@Kandae11 I haven't weighed myself in a long time but I am nowhere near the low 100s.
@AmbiePam (120692)
• United States
25 Aug 24
Girl, next time take the seat, and let her misguided self stand. You are undoubtedly beautiful, and a little belly can be found on a lot of women. Once a certain age hits, your metabolism becomes the enemy, and it gets extremely tricky to lose a belly. And hey, maybe you just looked really tired and she felt bad about you having to stand.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Aug 24
I wish I had just looked really tired lol. She looked at my belly area before she offered me a seat. And come to think of it I think she kept looking at it for a bit before she actually got up and asked me to sit down.
I have this thing now where if I sit down I get fidgety and start to panic, especially if I am squished between two other people or I have the window seat and there is a person sitting next to me. Can't explain why but maybe because I feel trapped and like I can't get out if I need to. Anyways, if not for that, I'd have just taken the seat.
1 person likes this
@luisadannointed (11842)
• Philippines
25 Aug 24
its okay, when you are so tired you can simply have a free access a free seat. lol! Hahaha, I think that is better than me being called a manang - meaning an old woman and ask for a senior ID in a restaurant. Lol!
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Aug 24
Oh no! That is not nice. Some people are rude.
The seat I was being offered was between two other people. I dind't want to get squished between them. I also knew I'd get fidgety trying to sit there. Otherwise, I may have taken the seat, just to get her to stop offering it to me.
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
26 Aug 24
No matter how much we wish it away it doesn’t leave.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222310)
• United States
26 Aug 24
I'm sorry she made you feel uncomfortable. You are lovely and people probably don't notice your "belly" as much as you think they do. It's probably not that big anyway! Have a good week.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
26 Aug 24
I think they do. They just don’t assume I’m pregnant. Or maybe they do but say nothing.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
2 Sep 24
@lovebuglena Yes lets get skinny again Lena
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
3 Sep 24
@RebeccasFarm I wish lol. My belly will never be flat.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
26 Aug 24
I used to be around 100. Sometimes people thought I may be anorexic, which I wasn’t. So much easier to shop for clothes when you’re skinnier too.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52137)
• Staten Island, New York
25 Aug 24
Sure I wish I didn't have that belly but it doesn't really bother me. Still, I wish people would stop assuming I am pregnant if they see a belly.
@RevivedWarrior (3853)
• India
26 Aug 24
Well, the lady really thought you were pregnant and wanted to help. People assume and we cannot change the part what they assume and what they judge about us. Interestinly, this often happens by just looking at us and not even verifying the facts. Any case, reduction of sugar and carbohydrates , increase of fruits and vegetables and atleast 30 minutes of walking should help reduce belly fat . It has helped one of my friends who is 42 and well the gradual reduction has helped him to lose weight and belly fat.
