Nothing New...

Whatever has happened before will happen again. Whatever has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (GW)


Pretty much says it all doesn't it? I love history and the more I look back, the more I see that we as humans repeat our mistakes over and over again.


Putting your ultimate faith in man, will always leave you disappointed. Always.

For Shame

I saw a post this week on Facebook saying that we should fat shame ourselves.  Frankly I was pissed at the time but said nothing.



Shame of any sort is wrong, it just is.


I've lived under self-induced shame because of my weight for far too long and with God's help, I'm done with it.


If you are a thin stud and have never been fat, then you have no idea how it feels to always feel bad about the way you look, to always struggle to lose weight and to always feel like you're less a person when the opposite sex is in the equation.


It's so easy for health nuts to tell overweight people that it's easy to lose weight, but they frankly don't have a clue.


I'm sitting here drinking bottled water, just ate some oat meal, had a healthy breakfast and what? You still think that I'm not doing enough to lose weight?


How about I posted at F3 this morning, worked out (in pain) for forty-five minutes and will lead a workout tomorrow morning, even if I'm still in pain.  So what, forty-five minutes isn't enough?


I say this to share that you should never shame anyone, not even yourself!


Shame creates hatred of yourself. I've hated myself because of my weight for many, many years and I've got a long way to go to stop hating myself but with God I know all things are possible.


Don't ever walk up to an overweight person and tell them they need to lose weight.  Don't post on social media that they should be fat shamed.  Please just stop for a minute and ask yourself, would you like to be talked to that way?  I really doubt it.  And people acting like they are performing an intervention are a joke.  We all have things we are good at and some of us just have our struggles very easily seen, while others can more easily hide theirs.


If you haven't taken the time to sit down and talk with me about my weight, my struggles, my strengths, and what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis, then frankly you have no right to say a word to me about my weight.  Not a word.


Social media seems to have created a bunch of armchair quarterbacks where we think we have a right to our opinion and to spout it out at whoever, whenever without regard to anyone or how it may impact them.


As was beautifully said in Don Henley's new song Words Can Break Your Heart:

Sticks and stones may break your bones
But words can break your heart

Next time you want to go shaming someone, why not stop and think about what shame really means and how you should reconsider before putting someone down.  Also consider that you probably have no idea how much that person struggles, and struggles and struggles. 

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

The Answer Is No

The past few weeks, months and even 2015 in general have been challenging to say the least for me. I've faced health issues, spent more time than desired seeing various doctors, and dealing with the emotional and financial impacts of such activities.

Through this year I've done my best to trust God and follow my life verse:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him
and he will direct your paths.

But if you've followed my journey for long, you know there are valleys and peaks on my way. I struggle with self-image, I struggle to be a God-pleaser and not a people-pleaser.

People mean well, but I've been reminded again that most people can't even manage their own life that well, so why should I worry about them trying to direct my life?

Can God speak through people? Obviously he does, but every word out of the mouth of man or woman is not from God. That person may just be having a bad day, they may be lashing out at me out of frustration with their own life situations, or any number of things.

What I have come to conclude in my own life is that firstly God loves me, will always love me, and has already promised to never leave me nor forsake me.

Secondly, my calling in life is not your calling in life. People, myself included, tend to take their calling and their passions in life and try to place it on everyone they meet.

If we were intended to be this way, then we would all do everything, and do it with excellence. Instead God gave some to be preachers, some to serve in the background, some to teach, some to write, and on and on.

I have a talent and love for music and singing, but it would be ridiculous for me to get frustrated with family members that can't hold a note in the shower, just because that's my gift.

We are here not only for ourselves, but for each other.

With all that being said, I've come to realize that in regard to my health journey I'm just going to have to get used to saying no.

It's great that someone is thin, they easily lose weight, their body performs correctly all the time, but that's not me. Sure I've lose a lot of weight, but lately despite my best efforts, my visits to doctors, my many prayers, I'm in a holding pattern.

People I respect have questioned me, assuming that I must be doing something wrong for me to not be at my ideal weight, but they don't know my day-to-day struggles to eat correctly, how I normally do and that it doesn't seem to matter to my body, it does what it does. It is what it is and the more I degrade myself because of my weight, the worse I will be in my spirit, mind and body. It's time for me to do my best, leave the rest up to God and ignore the critics.

Along those same lines, I've come to realize that I can't be All-American Athlete. I can't run fast, it's not a criticism of myself, it's the truth. But many for whatever reason don't seem to want to accept that answer. The criticism I place on myself already is a heavy burden, and I don't need any help from others putting more on me than I've already put on myself.

So from now on, if the activity is not something I personally enjoy, like long-distance running, I'm just going to have to say no. This will not make me friends, but for my own peace-of-mind, I have to learn to follow God's peace and do the activities I love and bring joy to my life. I can't do it all, just because so many have their own activities that bring them joy.

I don't want to make this post sound like a rant, although it does a bit. But I'm talking to myself as much as anyone else.

If I ever expect to have peace in every area of life, I've got to sometimes take the hard way, push through negativity inflicted by others and myself, and follow God's heart and his ways.

Jesus said:

I came that they may have and enjoy life,

and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].



 

Nation Of Heroes

It was a dark gray morning. Sunrise was still yet to come, but there lurked in the gloom shadows big and small, muscular and lean, this was no ordinary gathering. 

As I finished watching an episode of Arrow, the thought came to mind how much like heroes every F3 brother is.  Let me explain. 

I was always a quiet kid, which may surprise some.  Due to family strife and the style of verbal communication that went on in my home, I didn’t have a very high opinion of myself as a child, teenager or even man.  So I dove into the fantasy world of superheroes. 

Fast forward to my forties and after much prodding, I finally posted at F3 Ascent in South Charlotte.  Around me loomed men, some in black chatting and asking about who I was, who had invited me, you know the story. 

Then I caught my first glimpse of the Nation of Heroes during my first workout.  I was obviously out of my league and I immediately felt like I had made a mistake posting.   But the men around me weren’t macho jocks; to my surprise they were all very humble, strong men who amazed me at their athleticism. 

I have been a brother in F3 now 18 months and I’ve seen amazing things that remind me so much of the comic book superheroes.  We even have one guy that really likes tights. 

Sure there are athletes in F3 that are truly amazing to watch run, lift, ruck, or any number of things, but while that initially was what inspired me; it was the inner man that soon became the inspiration.  

As I settled in on Saturdays I soon made friends who would be my Barnabas. 

Barnabas is a man mentioned in the Bible known for his encouragement.  This man is the kind of guy you know you’d love to hang around with and my new brothers certainly created the glue of Second F for me.

What amazed me about these guys was that both of them were in phenomenal shape.  One brother is older and one younger than me, but you never heard a word from them about how great there are, what they mean to others, you get it. 

The self-sacrifice of ego that I see evident in these men inspires me to push past my own hang-ups and also learn to be comfortable in my own skin. 

When I move from the local group of men I’ve bonded with and to my region, or even the city of Charlotte I really start to see how F3 really is a nation of heroes. 

Heroes sacrifice, they serve, and they divert attention away from themselves and on to those being served.  I hope that as we work to help those in our country hurting and in need, that we’ll be inspired by our favorite superheroes and get out there and do our part.   

Sounds to me like truth, justice and the American way!  Aye!

 

 

 

Ole! Revenge Is Sweet!

Hello again readers, if you've been following this blog for any amount of time you know of my weight struggles, and how I finally started down the road towards better health after being denied riding El Toro, a wooden coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure.

So June 10 rolled around, almost five years since I was last denied riding the monster.

After joining F3, doing the 5:2 Diet and trying my best to stick with the program, losing between 50 and 60lbs. I thought I was probably safe heading back to the park for another try.

I walked into the park and headed straight for the coaster, figuring I needed to be at my smallest to make sure I had a fighting chance to fit.  Some don't know that your body actually expands during the day, due to water intake and other factors.

I stopped at the dreaded test seat and couldn't get a green light.  This wasn't looking good.  But I knew from five years ago, that the test seat was more stringent than the actual coaster restraints.

There was no one in line yet, well only a few, so I was grateful if I had to do the Walk of Shame again, it wouldn't be in front of a lot of eyes.

I sat down, pulled the seat belt on, and I could tell I had a little more room in the seat belt than five years ago, so who knows, maybe this would end well.

To my surprise the crew was actually very helpful this time around, and with a few pushes on my restraint, I got the all-clear!

We quickly ascended the lift hill and the moment I had dreamed of for many months was finally coming true as we careened down that 76° drop.  The drop was amazing, the rest of the ride was honestly kind of painful because of the horrible restraint.  But mission accomplished, El Toro was mine!

So what now?  Well, one goal is finished, but time to set some more goals.  I still need to lose at least another 30lbs. and I'm refocusing on that.

I'm thankful for how far I've come, and the great thing is with F3, I'll never arrive.  I can always get stronger, healthier, faster (ha!), but my brothers will always keep pushing me and until I take my last breathe, I'll keep on pushing.

I was amazed this trip at my stamina. Five years ago I visited three parks in two days and I was exhausted by the second day.

This trip I visited nine parks in seven days and drove nearly two-thousand miles and until the very end of the trip, I really wasn't what I would call exhausted.  Thankfully all those coasters and walking each day pretty much guaranteed I was out cold at the end of the day and slept well.

So a 43-year-old me, easily was in better shape than the 38-year-old version of myself, that was denied El Toro, and started down this road.

What does the future hold?  Not sure at this point, but you know I'm not giving up.

Until next time.

T-Minus 9 Days!

Hello again Friends, it's about that time... when I try again to conquer El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure!

If you go back to my first post, you'll read that back in 2010 I was denied riding the #1 ranked wooden coaster in the world, located on the outskirts of Philadelphia and it inspired me to start searching for a way to lose weight.

Along the journey to lose weight, I've discovered F3, GORUCK and all kinds of silly things like 5k's, 10k's and mud runs, all of which I've already completed with a little help from my friends.

I'm somewhere in the neighborhood now of 60lbs. down, with a goal to lose another 30 or so before I learn to settle into being skinny again for the first time in a very, very long time.

Recently I was able to buy my first 36" pants and shorts in probably fifteen years!

That brings me to this post: nine days from now I'll be hopefully riding El Toro for the first time!  I say hopefully, because after you've taken the Walk of Shame too many times, you never assume you are going to fit on a coaster, especially one so restrictive like El Toro.

Going into this weight loss journey, I was prepared I think, for the physical aspects but had no idea the emotional impact such a journey would take on me.

There are days I get depressed because I'm still overweight, still technically considered obese, then there are days I feel like nothing can stop me and the weight doesn't stand a chance.  This is why F3 has become vital for me.

F3 is full of thousands of guys, some serious athletes, at least one actual Olympian is in the F3 south Charlotte brotherhood now, but most are just average guys just trying to get better.

Many though have never been seriously overweight as I have been, and while they empathize with me, they really don't know what it's like to be so overweight you can't see your feet, so overweight that the weight of your arms puts pressure on your body while in bed to the point of stopping normal circulation, so overweight that you have skin issues, with being so heavy and skin rubbing against skin and causing sores and all other painful issues.  But they still encourage, still push me, still drag me along sometimes. OK, maybe not literally the last one, but certainly emotionally.

It amazes me when anyone says they are inspired by me, it's so easy to look at myself and forget how far I've come, to forget how strong I've gotten, and to forget that I'm well over half way home on the weight loss!

When a friend who I consider a real American hero, serving our country overseas while his wife is home taking care of seven children, because he'd "rather fight them over there, than at home." calls me an inspiration, and wants to do GORUCK when he gets home because I've gotten into GORUCK, it simply blows me away and humbles me, and shocks me a bit too.

When I consider that just a year and two months ago, I could barely survive a F3 workout, and now I've lead about twelve or thirteen workouts now, I just smile and shake my head.

Even though the Bible was talking really of spiritual things, I can't help but feel that 1 Corinthians 1:28 somehow applies to me:

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are...

It's like me leading F3 workouts, what am I doing?  There are guys in much better shape than I,  who can run rings around me, but there I am.  But that's the great thing about the Body of Christ, God gifts us all with different gifts, different skills, we don't all know it all, and we haven't all achieved it all.

So, who knows if I'll fit on El Toro this time around.  I sure hope so.  But if I don't, I'm not giving up on this journey.  I've learned too much, I've been inspired and pulled into things that have reignited a passion for life, country, my fellow man and God (not in that order) and I'm excited about my life now, I'm excited about what the future holds.  Two years ago I would never have said that.  Never.

So if you're out there, and like me you struggle with your weight, an addiction, whatever, don't give up.  God is there reaching out to you, it may be through someone smiling as you walk your dog, it may be in a brother kicking you in the rear to keep running, whatever it is, God works in our lives, if we let Him.

Look for an update soon about the results of my trip, here's hoping and praying that I'm able to ride the bull! Ole!

Until next time...

Are You Kidding Me? Don't Badger Me!

In 2009 after seventeen years of service, Bank of America informed me that my services were no longer required.  Such began six years of learning out how faithful God was and is, and how faithless I had been.

Now I'm not about to go into beating myself up, but I hadn't been tithing and I hadn't really been trusting God at all with my finances except when an emergency came up.

But after I lost my second job in three years in 2012 and I was wiped out financially, I had to take a crash course in trusting God.

I cut back on services, and wherever I could cut.  I sold stuff, whatever I could think of (that was legal) I pretty much did to make it in the aftermath of four months of no income from December 2012 to March 2013.

So that all brings me to the point of the title of this latest blog: Are You Kidding Me?

In my financial struggles, on top of just trusting God for expenses to be able to make it and survive, my car was also getting very up in years.  When I traded it in last week, it had over 230,000 miles and was sixteen years old.  Thanks God for providing and VW for making a great car!

The Beetle having so many miles on it, required quite a lot the past few years to keep it on the road and God always provided in one way or another so that it stayed on the road.

While all this was going on though, I had maybe a half dozen people tell me "Why don't you get another car?".  Are you kidding me?

People slow down, and use that brain before you talk, please.

Now I'm not angry here, but I just shake my head at how we as humans don't pay attention to what is going on in each other's lives.  I'm totally guilty as well.

Most people knew I had been laid off from Bank of America, many knew I was let go from my next job (won't even give them any publicity by mentioning their name) so all that should be in the back of their minds when they asked why I wasn't buying a new car.

Really folks?  Have we gotten to the point in our society that we just keep up with the Joneses automatically, and if someone doesn't have a shiny new vehicle, we automatically assume they can run out and buy one at the drop of a hat?

Is it any wonder that before the Great Recession that people (myself included) had run up credit cards, bought cars and houses we couldn't afford and generally just lived off debt?

The shock to the system that happened to me caused me to have to leave the cards behind and go back to cash and cash only.

At first of course this was very hard, but over time I started to really appreciate those little splurges, trips, or whatever when I could afford them and had the cash for them.

When I had credit cards, it was so easy to justify in my mind that a trip to Cedar Point was OK, and oh I'll buckle down and pay off the credit I took out for it later.  Never happened.

I've come a long way, and still growing of course but I've learned there are a lot of things I can live without when the mortgage is paid that month, the car is paid for, and I have food on the table.

I'm not saying that I think credit is evil in and of itself, but there is no way I will ever again let myself get so underwater with credit.

It's funny to me that all the banks now deny me even a simple $500 credit card, but one of the local stores gave me $300 right off the bat, and has already increased my line of credit because I've been paying it each month, or paying it off depending on the month.  I can't believe that anyone would give me credit if my credit was THAT bad, oh well, their loss.

Sadly the banking world isn't what it once was.  When I started at NCNB all those years ago, if you were a good worker, didn't cause problems, etc. you could expect to work there until retirement.

But now it's all about the money, the money, and nothing but the money.  Like most of Corporate America, the shock of the Great Recession caused big business to cut, and cut deep.  And where they didn't cut, you can certainly expect to be an employee who is worked into an early grave.

There are exceptions of course, but from all my friends that are still in banking, that's about all I hear from them: they are working and working a lot!  Nothing wrong with working hard, it's what our forebears did to build America, but you also need balance otherwise you cause all kinds of health problems not to mention a few other problems.

Where does this lead me to?  It's hard to bring all I've learned the last six years into a one liner, but here goes: live within your means, use credit like it's your worst enemy and only when truly necessary. Don't believe any bank that tells you they are your friend, because they can turn on you on a dime, literally, and enjoy all the blessings you already have in your life.  Two-thirds of the world doesn't have what you have, and never will.  Be thankful.

Until next time, please sit on your sandals!

Here I Go Again

I don't know where I'm going

But, I sure know where I've been

Hanging on the promises

In songs of yesterday

An' I've made up my mind,

I ain't wasting no more time

But, here I go again

Here I go again

Those lyrics from Whitesnake are oddly appropriate for next week as I will be heading down to South Carolina to participate in the Super Bowl of F3, the legendary USMC Leatherneck mud run!  Here I go again on another fitness adventure, but I'm not going on my own as the song says.

Just last Saturday I celebrated my one year anniversary in F3 by going back to where it all started for me - Ascent.  Ascent is a moderate Saturday F3 workout, but moderate doesn't equal easy and I didn't bring an easy workout either but I was so excited to see a new guy join F3 last week and I see today he's posted again today.  That's what it's all about.  You post to get in shape, you don't get in shape then post.

Besides being a bit scared, I'm so excited to finally see the true brotherhood that is F3 in action in the biggest way yet in my life.  I am running with three brothers from my Friday/Saturday workouts in Union County and all of them are strong and will probably be pulling me along at some point, but it's not about me, or them, it's about us.  It's about the team that is F3.  I Am Third is one of the many mantras of F3, but when it happens, what an amazing thing it is.  When a brother kneels down on the ground to allow me to climb on his leg so I can scale a wall, that's I Am Third.  When brothers are cheering me on or ensuring I'm safe, or any number of things, that's I Am Third and it's what our world is dying for.

Our world has sold us many lies, but one of the biggest is that to find true joy in life, you need to focus on yourself. It's a lie.

How did Mother Theresa, Gandhi, St. Francis of Assisi, the Lord Jesus or any number of great people of the past make their mark?  Not through touting themselves, but by serving others.  

I'm not talking about selling it all and moving to India, but sometimes that's what it takes for someone to follow the heart of God.

But what are you doing today that helps someone else?  It doesn't have to be complicated, it might be as simple as leading a workout, smiling at a stranger on the street, NOT cursing at someone who is being obnoxious in the car, or it could be moving to Africa and falling in love with her people and working to make someone else's life better.

We don't do these things to earn God's favor, if you are a child of God you already have that.  We do these things out of gratitude for what God did for us on the Cross so many years ago.

God took on human flesh, lived a perfect life for thirty-three years, then gave it all up to be beaten to a bloody pulp and give up his life on a nasty, cruel cross.  That's how much God loved you and me.  If God loves you that much, can't you take a moment to help someone else along the way?  

Until next time...

310

2005 - Mexico Mission Trip

The breaking of a bathroom scale started me down a journey this week that resulted in my fully realizing what my top weight was - 310lbs.  Yes, 310.

And it wasn't just one time in my life I was that heavy, but at least twice.  The photo is from 2005 when I was at or around that same weight.

It takes a lot for me to publicly admit that I let myself get that big.  Many people will only tell you those numbers after they've lost all their weight, but I want to share it as a challenge to myself to continue this journey, and to others who think they can't even start.

I've lost around 55-60lbs., so you can do the math and figure out what I currently weight.  But that number isn't a totally accurate picture as I've put on a lot of muscle the past year or two just from working out and being so heavy.  You figure I was doing pushups with the equivalent of almost two fully loaded rucks on me!

The past two weeks at the F3 workout known as Skunkworks, I noticed a big change in my endurance.  Of course with any new thing, it takes a while to build up your endurance, but it's taken almost six months to get to where I could actually complete a Skunkworks workout without stopping, skipping a set, whatever.  But the past two weeks, I completed the whole set, and didn't skip anything!  Shocked is the word I would use.  It's a very nice surprise to say the least.

It would be so easy to brag on myself that I'm over half way to my goal weight, but it would be ridiculous, yes, ridiculous to do so.  F3 has made such an impact on me and is one reason that this journey has continued.

I had no idea how much I was missing out on by missing out on F3.  I had no real male leadership in my life.  I had no one challenging me to push myself and to break down barriers.  Mental as well as physical barriers were deeply entrenched and constantly told me I wasn't worthy, I wasn't worth anything and to not expect much out of life.  I still battle those voices, many times on a daily basis, but they don't win in the end.  F3 has become so entrenched in my life now, that it's not going away.  It simply is part of my life and part of who I am and who I'm becoming.

Friday is a good example.  I got up about 4:15 to get ready to workout at F3 and so I left with plenty of time to make it there by 5:30.  I'm less than a mile from the school when traffic comes to a complete stop.  There is a train blocking my way.  After several minutes, I decide I will have to turn around and find another way to the school.

On my way I call a F3 brother to let him know of the issue.  He calls back shortly and tells me that the train has been stopped there for at least 30 minutes.  Great. 

At this point a temptation came - give it up and just go to breakfast!

I kept going and arrived at the school about 15 minutes late.  Then came the another temptation - No one was within sight, I was tempted to leave.

Of course unbeknownst to me, the two F3 brothers that made it to the school despite the train, had spotted me and were on the way back to the parking lot to pick me up.

We take off to the track and we do a quick warm up then head over to a hill for some hill work along with burpees - yes burpees, my mortal enemy.

Then came another temptation - Burpees are hard!  Don't do them and say you are modifying!  Thankfully I ignored that temptation as well and started doing burpees.  To my surprise, I was able to do all 45 burpees in the set!  Another big milestone for me.

I didn't even mention that my car had made a strange noise on the way to F3, and I was tempted to call it off before I even got stopped by the train!

So I share all this to encourage you and let you know that sometimes you won't have it easy trying to change your life.

Sometimes the weather is perfect, the temperature is perfect, you did your laundry and have clean workout clothes, you got a good night's rest, on and on.

But many times things will not workout for your workout.  Workout anyway. 

If you're late to workout, go anyway.  If the car makes weird noises, workout anyway.  If the weather sucks, workout anyway.  Just keep going, if anything you will find out that you can do things you never thought possible, if you'll just stay consistent.  If you wait until life is perfect, then I can guarantee you'll never change your life.  It was true for me.

I worked out at a boot camp before and while I was pretty consistent, I also too easily would give up on being there.  It's raining hard?  Can't go.  I'm sore from Tuesday?  Can't go.   On and on, you get the point.

This winter though out in the cold has somehow built a resolve in me to not give up and to show up workout after workout, no matter what the conditions.  And the one or two times I did want to bail, my F3 brothers didn't let it slide and they got me to post anyway.  Even in 8 degrees!

I have no idea if this means anything to anyone besides me, but if you've read this far, don't give up.  Whatever you have going on in life, don't give up.  There is someone, maybe many someone's that love you and would be devastated if you suddenly were gone.

This past weekend a dear friend suddenly passed away, apparently from a heart attack.  It would be easy to point a finger and say he wasn't taking care of himself, but I don't know that to be true or not.  For all I know, he may have been doing the best he could.

But either way, we should all do our best to take care of our bodies.  It's the only one we're going to get in this life, and if you don't take care of yours then you don't get another. 

I hope this will encourage someone along the way to take care of their health and life and to push your boundaries.  Find a group of people, F3, FIA or whoever that will push you, encourage you and not leave you behind when things get hard.

Until next time...

Hey Big Guy! - Why Bullying Is Not Cool At Any Age

 

It's been a few weeks since I posted and this time I thought it would be worth talking about something I had to deal with for many years as an obese man - bullying.

 

This picture was of me last Christmas at or near my heaviest weight (yet again).

 

Thankfully I've since gone on to lose 56lbs.

One of the issues besides the health issues I had to deal with the last ten years or so was what I'll call Adult Bullying. 

You see, many men especially find it appropriate to bully other men if those men happen to be overweight.  You get a lot of "Hey big guy!" "How you doing big guy!?" "I see you're still heavy big guy!".  I noticed the past few months though that this has stopped for me.  Nobody has called me that in months.

But when did it become appropriate to walk up to any person, friend or stranger and comment on their weight?  When did it become OK to commentate on someone else's struggle?

It's like walking up to an alcoholic and saying "Hey wine-o!".  Would that be appropriate?  I really don't think so.

But in our society, food and obesity seem to be fair game and open season.  It's not as if men are the only guilty ones.  I hear women's comments about their fellow females: anything from a jealous comment about a woman losing weight, to comments about how fat someone has gotten.

It's not cool, it's not funny and it's not OK.  As Thumper said If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all.  Aside from the grammar, Thumper has it right.

Be a little kinder to your fellow man or woman out there.  Think about how you would feel if someone walked up to you and said "Hey big guy/girl!".

Until next time...