Northern Lights MCC
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Mission Values
    • Who's Who
    • History
    • 5 Year Plan
  • What We Believe
    • Bedrock Beliefs
    • LGBT People and the Bible
    • Our Denomination
  • What We Do
    • Sunday Worship
    • House Group
    • Personal and Spiritual Development
    • Pastoral Care >
      • Suicide Prevention
    • Social Action >
      • Rainbow Home
    • Social Events
  • Catch Up
    • Ordinary Corner
    • Audio Recordings >
      • Catch Up Archive
    • Video Recordings
  • Support Us
  • Find Us
  • Job Vacancies
  • Returning to In Person Worship
  • Social Media Policy

Thanks, Victoria

21/4/2016

0 Comments

 
 I was 13 when I came out to my parents. At that time, my father was also seriously ill, although that was not shared with me at the time. Once I hit puberty, I went from being a skinny kid to a very well developed young woman. This, and comfort eating after the death of my father, made my weight and body shape the personal interest of anyone who felt like commenting on it. I remember being mortified by one of the neighbours, who asked me at the bus stop how much I weighed now. After my mother died and I went back to visit the family home in Sheffield as an adult, my weight was the first thing that the same neighbour commented on, publicly and loudly in the street. So here I was, a teenager struggling with my sexuality, not comfortable showing all the natural womanly curves of my body and not being able to dress in a way that reflected who I was. I look back on family photos and remember how I felt inside, compared to what I was having to wear on the outside. Truly, wearing my tie and blazer for school was a delight, not a restriction for me!
 
And then Victoria Wood arrived into our homes via television. I had already been warned off her by my mother, who said she sang lewd songs about condoms (VW, not my mother, to clarify). Finally, here was a woman who looked like I wanted to look. She was northern and funny and confident – at least on the outside. She loved Joyce Grenfell, someone I already delighted in from hearing her on the radio. I still have her biography bought in my teenage years. (‘Nursery school’ tracks on YouTube if you are interested). Victoria Wood wore suits, or jackets and trousers, and commanded the stage.  Finally, I had a role model and a style. One of my sisters used to describe me to others as being like Victoria Wood and I felt confident enough to go her wedding in a bright pink linen trouser suit, shirt and bow tie. The trousers had shrunk significantly in the wash and I hadn’t realised until the day itself, so my outfit was not all it could have been. But oh the joy of not having to wear a skirt or dress! I went to see Victoria Wood live in Bristol, my body ached from laughing so much and at one point, I seemed to have even run out of laughter, she was so funny.
 
I was so sad to hear of Victoria Wood’s death yesterday. I didn’t know her, yet she was such an important person for me, when I so badly needed to see a different way of being a woman in the world. This is the thing about being a role model. We don’t necessarily intend to be one, but when we are fully ourselves and let our light shine through, we influence others and help them to grow, even if we never know it. Thanks Victoria.

God bless

Cecilia
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Hope & Light Blog

    Follow the church on Twitter

    Archives

    December 2019
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Contact us

Submit

About us

Who We Are
What We Believe
What We Do
Whats On?


Follow, tweet and talk to us!

Worship with us Sunday 6.30pm GMT at
St. James's URC, NE1 8JF and our YouTube channel

Email: contact@northernlightsmcc.org.uk
Phone: 07770543407

Social Media Contribution Guidance

NLMCC Policies and Documents

Registered Charity Number 1093009
Website designed by Carly Steven 
Logo and branding designed by Naomi Neilson