I have an obsession about my upper arms. I am not proud of this. I have this idea that the fat on my arms just screams out, “Notice me,” whenever I wear a sleeveless top, which is never since I don’t want to see people trail their eyes from my face down to those upper arms.

I realize this is irrational. I have seen countless women in sleeveless tops with arms that are much fatter than mine and I never think anything about it. My logic is: If they can live with them, then what do I care? And the truth is, I don’t care. But let those arms be mine, and out comes the long sleeved shirt that I put on over my sleeveless shirt. I don’t mind my lower arms, so I am happy rolling up the sleeves. Just as long as we don’t go to high…

Where did I get such a neurotic obsession, you might ask and I would shrug my shoulders and say, “Where didn’t I get it?” I can point to any fashion magazine on the market, any clothes ad, any picture of a truly “beautiful” woman in our society, and all the women will have toned upper arms. No flab for them. No sir. They will have been to the gym to get those muscles taut and beautiful.

But why do I focus so much on this one aspect? I’m not quite sure, but maybe because I used to have pretty upper arms and over the years, those muscles have gone from taut to relaxed. Maybe because I have a before and after image in my mind; a clear then versus now.

Can I promise that I will run upstairs and throw away all of my long sleeved shirts and pledge to go sleeveless? No, not at this point, at least. I’m not ready for that. I am a little more inclined to bear my arms than I have been in the past. At some point, I will be old enough that it will be ludicrous for me to even think about my arms. Maybe then…

So, if you see me and wonder why I have on layered shirts, then now you know. I am an arm neurotic. I’m not proud of this, as I said. I have room to grow in this aspect, that’s for sure.

And you? What part of your body don’t you like so much? Share in the Comments section if you’re so inclined.