People fear what they do not understand. It
seems to be a fact, a law written in the sands of time - etched into our
genetic fibers. Perhaps it is because we sense power, and that scares us.
Because it reminds us that some things and some people are stronger than our
desire to control them. It reminds us that some things have far too free a spirit
to fit into the boxes society provides.
It has not been easy to grow up in a race
and economic conscious society. Especially not as a "mixed race" (I
assure you that I am pure human), opinionated, young woman. In junior school,
many of my peers were perplexed by my unruly hair, that resembled my African family's,
and my moderately fair skin and freckles - a more European trait. I was frequently
asked with rude abruptness "what are you?"
In many ways it was a blessing to have my identity
crisis at five years old - the world had not yet had time to pollute my mind
with social convention and stereotype. I was free to define myself. I found the
concept of race illogical, a child who has just learnt to name the colours "black"
and "white" sees no resemblance between her paint box and the colour
of her parents' skin. I knew that I was more than a colour wheel and my family
more than its hues.
The constant myriad of questions and
racial commentary, some of which was abusive, prepared me for my teenage years.
A time in which many teenage girls fixate all their attention upon their appearance
and popularity. I have learnt that beauty comes in more forms and sizes than humans,
especially young ones, can comprehend. The world and its many societies will
always find something negative to say about a woman and the way she looks - which
is why it is important for a woman to be more than just looks.
Approval and popularity are fickle things.
It is the very same people who called me "egg head" and "freckle
face" that now comment on my photographs with smiles and complements.
"Beautiful" they say, "I love your freckles". Irony is not
in short supply.
If I have a message for any young woman
about her journey in life, it would be to be brave. Have the courage to live a
life of meaning. You are more than a trend, more than a Facebook like, more
than man's compliment and far more than the whispers of your insecurities and
fears.
- Saturday, April 30, 2016
- 1 Comments
