I recently colored my hair. I wanted to go with a nice auburn, but it turned out fire engine red. I had to go back to the store and get a cappuccino color to cover it up. It was then that it became a dark burgundy color that I have now grown accustomed to. This is the darkest my hair has ever been and it was an adjustment, but when you can’t run away from it, you learn to adjust. I have gotten more compliments on this color, that can probably never be reproduced. I have lived in my current apartment for 10 years. Many people come and go, but I can’t say I have really connected with my neighbors. We all have different lives and are going about in all our business. I mean we occasionally say hey, but that is it. So, the day after I colored my hair, my corner neighbor came running up as I got out the car. She introduced herself and said, “I just wanted to come meet you, you look really cool and artsy and would be really fun to hang out with sometime”. I was floored, she is probably one of the first people to ever call me cool, and honestly the first person I can think of to ever call me artsy. This began to make me think.

            Isn’t it strange and sad how we limit ourselves because of what is on the surface? So many people color their hair, wear makeup, buy nice clothes, exercise intensely, all to achieve a certain look. Not just that but it is important if you are male or female, or if you believe certain things, or if you have a certain amount of wealth or social status, all of that matters and to some degree we for judgements and opinions based on that data. Does that data fit the perfect criteria, are we the perfect shape, are we the perfect color, do we have the perfect relationship? Does our hair look like that person’s, do we speak eloquently like that person, do we have the perfect life like that person over there? All of this is nonsense, we must stop measuring ourselves by this society scale, because according to that, we will never be thin enough, or smart enough, or fit enough, we will never be wealthy enough, or be able to do all these amazing things that the world tells you makes you a success. Think of all the wonderful relationships you have missed out on because that person was considered odd, or different, or weird, too old, or too young. Isn’t that sad?            I would love to live in a world that would have no judgement or preconceived notions. We could just be the best humans we can be and accept each other for who we are, that we may be able to embrace the differences that exist between us and cherish them. It is a new way of thinking and what is great is that it has to start somewhere and it can start with you.  What you do and how you chose to see things, will effect you, and those around you, and spred to those around you.  You have far more of an influence that you give yourself credit for. 

         I would love to live in a world where it wouldn’t take me coloring my hair to appear to be cool and artsy, which I am neither, but that someone would take the time to get to know me and see my inner beauty and then make that conclusion. A day where we can befriend each other and try to understand each other, whether we are young or old, straight or LGBTQA+, Christian or Muslim. We all have so much to learn from each other, we need to have fresh eyes to see each other with, and I guarantee you, if you look through a set of fresh eyes, you will like what you see.