Around two months ago I dyed my hair black.
I have extremely thick curly hair that was light brown. I never did anything different to my hair except the occasional straightening job, which takes over an hour! Ah!
So I decided I wanted to do something different. I couldn't cut it much shorter because it wouldn't look right with how thick of hair I have. So I decided I would dye my hair black.
I have felt very dark inside for a very long time. But all people saw of me was the happy-go-lucky me. Once I dyed my hair I got so many different reactions.
Two of my best friends loved it. My sister loved it. They are the only people that actually know me. It hurt when I saw some of my other close friends and they said I looked "scary." And yes, that is actually what one of my friends said.
I went to school and got a lot of the same reaction. I go to a small school, so if you do something different or slightly out of the norm, everyone knows about it . . . and of course it's their business too. (Absolutely no sarcasm there at all! hahaha)
I just don't understand why people can't be different. And just so my fellow classmates know, DYING YOUR HAIR BLACK IS NOT THAT WEIRD!!!!! I don't understand why I have to pretend to be someone I'm not just to make other people happy. I've finally found who I actually am. Am I supposed to ignore it? It just bugs me to no end that other people do this to themselves-that they don't embrace who they are.
I know that this topic may seem like no big deal, but let's look at a bigger picture. A lot of kids my age are accepting who they are. Gays and lesbians are "coming out" more often because it isn't looked so down upon as it used to. I just don't see why the area I live in has to be so old-fashioned and not accepting to being different.
I think I just need to get out of the midwest. hahahaha.
What do you think? Does anyone feel like this too?
I agree with you. I am tired of being judged. I am hispanic and I mow my own grass with a bandana on. My friend once told me to take it off because she did not want people to think that she hangs out with people who are "ghetto," but when she told me this it made me offended because to me ghetto was not only insulting, but she seemed to imply a relationship to the word "wet-back." I told her that I was not going to take my bandana off and that I was not going to change for anyone.
That's not just judging somebody that's racisim.
I don't understand why people would ever feel comfortable saying something like that knowing it will be hurtful. You friend seems to have an issue with self-esteem if she can't handle what other people may think about who she chooses to hang out with.
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"Most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same." - Erykah Badu
Yeah, I know she is racist sometimes and what I don't even get is, she is hispanic just like me! She doesn't realize her racism towards hispanics as a beautiful race, just like all the other races. We all have culture within us and she forgets that.
It's funny that people think it's ok to discriminate within your own race (not saying discriminating outside of your race is acceptable). I don't understand the logic behind all of it.
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"Most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same." - Erykah Badu
I don't get how people could go against their own race either because when you do it you are become ignorant and seem ashamed of yourself. Everyone's ethnicity is apart of their being.
I wouldn't really pay attention to what they say. Although I go to a very large school, I see some of the same tendencies. There is a certain standard of what is acceptable, and trust me, I don't fit that standard.
I understand your need to do something different. I change my hair at least once every two years. I'm talking a drastic change. I've gone from extremely long, to short, to a lot of layers, to dramatic thick bangs, and just recently I cut all of my hair off and after a long growing out process I have a huge afro. My hair is extremely thick and curly and the straightening out process was 4 hour long trip to the salon so I'm sure you can see why I decided to cut all my hair off and just let it be what it is.
It's nice to define yourself in a way that is different from everybody else. I personally, like to wear different clothes, have my hair different, etc. It's not exactly the need to be an independent teen that stears away from the norm, it's just how things sort of fell into place.
Don't let other people's opinions of how you choose to wear your hair and dress define who you want to be because they don't matter. If you feel better about yourself with darker hair then keep it, be confident about it, and let it be all about you!
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"Most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same." - Erykah Badu
I'm glad you had the courage to let your true self out! It take realy self confidence to do something like that. You should not listen to what your "friends" say about it if you do not like it. If you are happy, then they should be happy. Or maybe they're not your friends...