Most of my middle school years through my high school years, I dated females of a different race than my own. Yes… I did get some looks from others, as if, I was doing something morally wrong. I learned many things from different races and cultures. I have tried, if you will, to understand their personal struggles, as well. Although, being the race that I am, I will never truly understand their hurdles they have to jump over, but I at least can acknowledge that those “hurdles” do, in fact, exists.
Many questioned me during this period of my life. Many, and according to some recent conversations, felt I was a fake. A Flake. A Dick rider. A Wanna-be. Annoying… Yes, this list goes on. What has always interested me is when a Caucasian wears urban clothing and hangs around a different race… he/she is considered a wanna-be, and when one of their own wears Caucasian brands and hangs around with Caucasians… they are considered a “sell-out”. It confuses me why an individual should have to listen to the “rules of society”, when we are preached growing up to be ourselves. To make our own paths. To be different than the norm. Why, because I’m Caucasian, should I wear only certain brands, when I felt more comfortable and felt more attractive in other brands of clothing.
To be yourself in a World that wants to hold you to a standard is, in my opinion, one of the hardest challenges I can be whomever I want to be in this World, but I can’t be whomever I want… Gets a tad confusing right? I grow. I learn. I adapt. Just like everyone else in this World, I have learned how to be apart of the environment around me. But the bottom line has always been… be yourself. This is something that, today, I am still learning. How does one be themselves when we are manipulated by the environment around us so much? How does one truly be unique?
By no means am I trying to make this a racial topic… I am making this a personal reflection topic. How does one be “themselves” in this World of judgement and forced upon agendas? How does one grow up and not adapt to the environment around him/her? For me being accused of being a “wanna-be” in high school simply because some of my closes friends were of a different race and I wore clothing that was made from a different race, to me, is jealousy on that person. I am no more of a wanna-be than you are trying to make yourself be… Isn’t it more of a sale out to ONLY wear your races brand of clothing? Wouldn’t that be fitting into the “rules of society”? Be different and stand out… or fit in the crowd and be unseen.
I’d rather stand out…
robert1ee
