Paths Not Taken

I’ve always wondered if there was someone out there who had the same thought process as I did. Back in high school I can vividly remember being labled as not being "black" enough or not being "light" enough. I always had that pressure of being either one or the other. I often felt that I had to hide my real identity to comply with what others thought was acceptable, like the music I liked to even the clothes I wore. The more I tried to hide who I really was the more unhappy I felt. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to the conclusion that it wasn’t me who had an identity comlex, I was fine the whole time. It was them that wasn’t open enough to venture outside of their little world to see the many different possibilities that the world had to offer. What I wear, the music I listen to, and the way I carry myself does not identify my blackness. My blackness comes from within, it’s in my heart. This is something I will carry with me as long as I exist and I will wear it proudly. I no longer need the opinons of others to identify the person that I am. The truth is, I’m black, beautiful, and proud to be just that. Who I am, the music I listen to, the people I befriend holds no bearings on my ethnicity, it only makes me more open to the world around me and if you don’t understand that which I’m saying, then maybe you were’nt meant to.

I recently had this conversation with a dear friend of mine. We both grew up in different towns but pretty much had the same views. We listened to the same music, and we both felt that we had to "fit in". Our experiences has made us the people we are today, professional, strong willed, and not afraid to take a stand for what we believe in. It took several years for our paths to cross, but I think it was for a reason. It’s amazing to share past experiences with someone who "gets it" and not judge. Friends like this comes once in a lifetime. My mother always said that if you could count your friends on one hand, your the luckiest person in the world, and my mother was never wrong about things like this.

With that said…..Dear Friend, I thank you for your understanding and the ability to stay true to who you are. Your ability to listen, your capability to comprehend the words I cannot speak, and for teaching me that it’s ok to feel.

Thank you!

Oh yeah, don’t go ego trippin just because I wrote all of this sappy shit, I just threw back a couple of Heinekens.