I am Amina Pope, and this is my story.
Isn’t it funny how the very thing that crushes you is the same thing you’ll later use to win? The forces of evil which aim to destroy us think they are so clever. We overcome by being more clever. I’m a big girl and proud, but I wasn’t always. I used to let other sims tell me who I am and who I should be. I tried to conform to a system that wasn’t made for me, so I created a new system. Put that in your bubble blower and inhale it!
My whole life, I heard “you’re too big to wear that,” “you shouldn’t eat that,” “when are you starting your diet,” “you’re pretty for a big girl,” “he won’t love you.” For a while, I listened to these things and believed them. I tried to make everyone happy. Everyone except me, that is. There was one thing, however, on which I never compromised despite the naysayers, and that was my sense of style. I suppose one could say fashion was how I coped. I’ve always loved color, patterns, shoes, and all things pretty. No matter how sims felt about me, no one could say I didn’t dress well. I loved dressing up and putting outfits together, as well as helping others do the same. I became a stylist and launched a business helping sims look as good as me. The business was successful, but I was emotionally bankrupt and hollow. I worked hard to prove to people who didn’t matter that I was worth something. That stress on top of many failed and broken relationships, I needed a break. I took a vacation…and never came back.
When I arrived in Sulani, I immediately felt a sense of calm and comfort. How could a place I’d never been feel like home? I did not intend to stay, but the longer I convalesced, the better I felt. The thought of leaving caused so much distress deep in my soul. I felt connected to the island and its people, who are now my people. I rested. I healed. I grew. I learned. I fell in love…with myself. I took that love and started a blog so I could share it with others in hopes they too would love themselves. Of course, I throw my love of fashion in there too, but my goal is to encourage sims to love themselves and live life on their own terms. Live life loud, I say. Don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve.
I still have my styling business, but I’ve since changed my target audience to plus sized sims only. I’m not desperate for money, and I know best of all how hard looking good can be on the top side of the slider.
So, that’s me. I won’t apologize for it. 😜
