Good morning all. I’m thrilled to introduce today’s guest to Help From My Friends Friday readers. I think we all have TSA stories; my friend Kathy has a beauty! The story behind her TSA tale is even more inspirational and she tells it with compassion and humor. Please welcome the fabulous Kathleen Irene Paterka. ~ Donnell
Carrots and the TSA
by Kathleen Irene Paterka
Author Kathleen Irene Paterka
My name is Kathleen and I’m a compulsive overeater. My obsession with food recently led to me being flagged by TSA airport security. My husband and I had been visiting family in Las Vegas and as we were heading home through the airport, something in my carry-on bag snagged the attention of security.
“What have you got in your bag, Ma’am?” the agent asked me with a hard stare. “Any sharp objects?” Frantically I searched my brain, trying to remember what I’d jammed inside. Kindle, magazines, travel pillow, a jewelry pouch which contained some glittery holiday brooches. I doubted the pins were the culprit; I traveled with them before. Then again, the way the world is now, who knows?
“No, sir,” I said. “You’re welcome to look through it.”
Which he promptly did, rifling through my things until he pulled out a sack of carrots.
Exhibit “A”
“What are these?” he questioned accusingly.
“Ummm… carrots?” I replied. In what universe did this man live that he didn’t recognize a vegetable? But he seemed serious. Dead serious. And I was much too nervous to smirk or make light of things. You don’t joke around or argue with the TSA.
His eyes narrowed. “Why are you travelling with carrots?”
Seriously? Why was he asking me ridiculous questions? Though I felt like smacking my head against the wall, my mother raised me to always tell the truth. That’s what I went with.
“The carrots are in my bag because I’m a compulsive overeater. I don’t trust the airport restaurants or the airlines to provide me with the foods I need. When I travel, I always carry food with me, including fruits and vegetables. Carrots are good; they travel well. Bananas, not so much. They get mushy.”
He studied me a long moment. Had I said too much? Was he a fan of bananas and had taken offense? Just as I began to wonder if my food obsession would get me arrested, he suddenly seemed to lose interest and stuffed the carrots back in my bag. “You’re clear to go.”
Thank goodness my detainment had ended. Thank goodness he hadn’t confiscated my carrots! I grabbed my carry-on and scurried off to find my husband. Naturally, he and his greasy potato chips and drippy sub sandwich had been waved through security with no problem.
Kathleen at high school graduation
But I’ve always had a problem with food. I was born fat, tipping the scales at over 9 lbs. A chubby baby, a chunky little girl, I eventually exploded into a fat teenager who never had a date, never went to her high school prom, and never thought a boy would ever want to kiss her, let alone marry her. By the time I graduated from high school, I weighed 300 lbs. I’m 5’11”, and I suppose I carried the extra weight better than someone shorter than me. But facts are facts, and FAT is FAT. No one but another overweight person understands the pain of what it’s like to live in a society which worships the concept of Thin is beautiful.
By the time I started college, I was convinced I’d always be fat. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. It took a few years, but eventually I got down to 155 lbs. (the weight I am today), which I’ve maintained for nearly forty years. And while I look different then I did in high school, that fat little girl still lives inside me. She’s the one who whispers in my ear ‘Who do they think they’re kidding?’ when other people pay me compliments about my appearance. My husband tells me every day that I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. Mostly I don’t believe him, but some days I do.
It’s been hard to learn to trust my instincts. I spent so many years being judged by the way I looked. But I no longer buy into the advertising myth that Thin is Beautiful. I’ve come to terms with the way I look. I’ll never be able to recapture my teenage years and live them over again at a normal weight, and that’s okay. I’ve made my peace with the past, and I’m happy with who I am. And God bless that fat little girl I was, once upon a time. I’m eternally grateful to her. She helped me become the woman I am today.
And she helped me write my very first book: FATTY PATTY. I’d always wanted to write a book about being overweight. I know plenty of women have self-esteem issues when it comes to their bodies, and I wanted to explore that theme. Patty Perreault is the overweight heroine of FATTY PATTY. Patty’s childhood nickname was Fatty Patty. Though she’s an adult, Patty still remembers the cruel childhood taunts on the playground at the very same school where she now teaches. The novel deals with Patty’s struggle to confront her self-esteem issues, put down the fork and give her heart a try. I’ve written seven other women’s fiction novels, but Patty’s story has a special place in my heart. If you have issues with food or self-esteem, I hope you’ll give Patty’s story a try.
About Fatty Patty:
Brand New School Year, Brand New Body, Brand New Me!
Small towns, long memories. Everyone in the exclusive summer resort of James Bay, Michigan remembers FATTY PATTY, the chubby little girl with the round face and wild red curls. All grown up now, Patty Perreault teaches at the same elementary school where the painful playground memories still taunt her. She hasn’t forgotten the cruel nickname—plus she still hasn’t lost those extra pounds. Convinced her weight is the biggest reason why she’s a four-time loser in the semi-finals for Teacher of the Year, Patty resolves to make some changes in her body and her life.
Sam Curtis, an overweight accountant she meets at the community pool, swims into Patty’s life with romance on his mind. But as their friendship grows, Patty finds it hard to see beyond his extra pounds. She’s torn as Sam refuses to deal with his own overweight issues. Her heart tells her one thing, but her eyes see another. She’s not interested in an overweight boyfriend. When it comes to winning the Grand Prize in life and love, Patty has some hard lessons to learn. Will she be able to confront her fears about the kind of woman she yearns to be? Will she be able to put down the fork and give her heart a try?
https://www.kathleenpaterka.com/
Donnell, thanks so much for allowing me to share my TSA story, and Patty’s story as well. So many people suffer from food addictions, which have the power to destroy us. But one thing I’ve learned is that “we are only as sick as our secrets”. The best way (for me) to break the cycle is to be as honest as I can about my addiction, and to share my truth with others. Hopefully someone will find it of benefit. But even if it doesn’t, at least it’s helping me. I’m no longer silent. FATTY PATTY was written as part of me being honest with myself.
Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Donnell! You’re the best!
It is my absolute honor. You’re my hero, Kathy. I love how you incorporate humor with facts and your brilliant storyteller. Thank YOU! xo
Kathleen, this is an awesome post! And your book sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing your story.
All best,
Margaret
Thanks for sharing, Kathleen. TSA can be an interesting group. Try wearing thigh-high compression stockings. The latex tops drive me into a pat down with TSA asking if I have pockets when they can see[we hope] that my leggings have NO pockets. Always an adventure when we fly!
The playground and kids can be so cruel that it’s tough to have self-esteem when one is battered by comments. I can share that I had the opposite problem…so thin[5’8″ and 97lbs in high school] that my nicknames were Zipper[if I stuck out my tongue] or Olive Oil[from Popeye]. I walked the narrow path and bit my tongue, getting even by ruining every grade curve I could. [shame on me..ha] I look forward to reading your book!
This is wonderful on so many levels! Thanks for sharing part of your story, your humor, your compassion, and most of all your honesty.
Hi Margaret,
Thanks so much for supporting Donnell’s blog and for reading my post! Isn’t Donnell simply amazing? I stand in awe of her storytelling prowess! Glad to hear you enjoyed my ‘veggie post’. Carrots remain my favorite veggie, despite the TSA!
Happy reading!
~ Kathleen
PS – if you’re looking for a copy of FATTY PATTY, you can find it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Hi Jean,
A co-patriot and co-survivor of the Playground Wars! So sorry to hear about the teasing you endured from your classmates. Kids can be so cruel. My playground nickname was “Baby Huey”. Sound familiar? Baby Huey was a fat cartoon duck who wore a baby bonnet and waddled when he walked. Being called Baby Huey was devastating – especially the taunts coming from the cute boy in 7th grade (the one I had a major crush on). I’ve moved on, but I’ve never forgotten. It’s all research, right?
Thanks for being a reader of Donnell’s blog. She’s a super gifted author of romantic suspense, and I’m so grateful for her support and friendship.
Happy Reading!
~ Kathleen
Hi Peg,
So happy to see you stopped by Donnell’s blog. I have to confess: I wasn’t feeling too ‘humorous’ or ‘compassionate’ when stopped by the TSA…mainly, I was irritated at the whole situation – and scared, too! I didn’t want him to confiscate my carrots! But after I got home, I thought it might make an interesting story. Glad you enjoyed my post!
Happy Reading!
~ Kathleen
Thanks for the humorous but insightful story. So sorry all of us less than “society’s perfect” women have to go through the shaming and bullying.
Hi Brooke, thanks for visiting Donnell’s blog! As for “…’society’s perfect” women have to go through the shaming and bullying”…? My thought is, we are stronger TOGETHER. We need to call out bullies for exactly who they are, and refuse to allow them to automatically categorize us as weak pathetic losers. I am 66 yrs old, and done with putting up with that kind of stuff. If all of us hold hands and share our experience, strength and hope, who can defeat us?
You never forget the taunts from your childhood or teen years. That said, I think Kathleen was cute in the school picture she shared. Also, she writes great books.
Thanks for sharing your story, Kathleen, and good luck with the book. I can relate to being stopped by security. Usually I get checked for no reason. We just got back yesterday from a trip over seas and this time hubby’s carry-ons were searched at every single checkpoint. Once they were suspicious of all the books I had collected and he carried in a bag for me because they were too heavy to put into our luggage. I’ll have trouble convincing him to do it again. lol
An interesting and thoughtful post, Kathleen. It was my understanding that we weren’t allowed to bring any food or water through security. I think they once confiscated a bottle of water that I’d forgotten I had in my bag. I’m glad your carrots came through.
Kathleen, I forgot about my TSA story until after I signed off, but I wanted to share it with you. My husband and I raised our own Angus beef for years, and we commonly shared packages of it with family. I was flying to visit my brother in Oklahoma and decided to stick a frozen rump roast in my carryon bag. Of course I was flagged at the x-ray screener and taken aside for my bag to be searched. The agent immediately found the big lump of frozen beef and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I said, “I’m going to visit my brother and nothing says love like a rump roast.” She laughed, zipped up my suitcase, and waved me on through.
Hi Judith! Thanks for stopping by Donnell’s blog, and so happy to hear you enjoyed my post about TSA and the carrots. And MANY THANKS for the kudos on my books… words which warm this author’s heart. xxoo PS – whenever I look at that high school yearbook pic of me, all I see is the ‘chubby cheeks’. LOL
Hi Sandy, thanks for stopping by Donnell’s blog… glad you enjoyed my post! And so happy to hear that your books are making it through security. I mean, carrots? I can always buy more at the grocery store, right? But you can NEVER have enough books! Happy reading!
Hi Marilyn,
I’ve seen lots of food being carried onto the planes, and also coming through security. That’s why I was so surprised when he flagged my carrots. “What the heck?” is all I could think. They made it all the way back on the flight from Vegas to Michigan (except for the ones I ate mid-flight). Ha!
Margaret!!! I LOVE your “rump roast” story! That is priceless! And I hope your brother enjoyed it, too (the story AND his rump roast!) xxoo ~ K
Rump roast and carrots. This blog is making me hungry. 😉 Sandy had books, too. Okay, I’ll share my TSA story. When I was writing Betrayed, I did a lot of research on C4 explosives. Several months later, my husband and I were off to see our daughter in Seattle, when going through the metal detector, the alarm went off and I heard the word “Random.” Which was weird because my husband went through just fine.
Anyway, they pulled me aside and swabbed my fingers. Like Kathleen, I didn’t say a word, but on the way back, leaving Seattle, I went through the metal detector, and what do you know, the lights went off and I heard the word “Random,” where they swabbed my fingers again.
Something told me there was nothing random about their checking, but in this case, I’m glad they did. Thanks again for such a wonderful blog, Kathy.
As an ongoing “Fatty Paty” I do know the struggle, but in my case I don’t remember a single child I went to school calling me that. Though both of my brothers did. They liked to recite, “Fatty Patty, two by four, can’t get through the kitchen door.” When I became interested in boys in high school I managed to slim down and stayed that way until I had my first child. After that, I’ve roller coastered back and forth for years. I feel good, but I think I’d feel better with 15 more pounds off. And that is the story of my life as “Fatty Paty.” Your book sounds interesting!