Embracing My Quirks

¹quirk

 

 noun \ˈkwərk\

             : an unusual habit or way of behaving

I am an atypical black girl.  I have long curly hair.  I was in band for seven years, and YES I went to band camp more than once.  My ipod on shuffle can go from Nine Inch Nails to Lil Scrappy to a lot of Erykah Badu.  I didn't go on my first official date until I was in my last semester of college.  And sometimes I would prefer to spend my Friday night finishing a great book then having a night out on the town.  Some people used to say that I sounded white, some may say that I still do.  I often get asked a combination of are you mixed or what country are you from.  I tend to want to be alone when I am in a bad mood so I don't bring others down with me too.  I often found solace in dancing and singing out loud in public.  I can strike up a conversation with a stranger and it can instantly feel like we have been friends for years.  My favorite piece of jewelry are my over-sized silver hoop earrings because before I lost weight I didn't have a neck and I couldn't wear dangly earrings.  It may have took me awhile but I am embracing my quirks.  I am loving what makes me, me.

I look around at people who are little bit younger than me. Shoot, people my age and older are also guilty of this as well.  So many people walk around trying to be someone else.  Countless folks are zombies waiting for others approval.  People get so lost in caring what other people think, that they stop caring about what they think about themselves. We judge others just to mask the insecurities that we have in ourselves.

I don't know when it happened, but one day I stopped caring.  Not that I go balls to the wall with my extrovertedness all the time, but for the most part I do and say what I want.  Maybe it is because I lost a parent at a young age and realized life is to short run around trying to look to others for approval.  Or maybe it's just because I realized I was never going to be "perfect" in anyone's eyes.  But I some point I became accepting and happy with my quirks.  I came to accept the reason why I am the way that I am and I have learned how my quirks can help me to help others.

Today I encourage you to embrace your own quirks and to be comfortable with who you are.  Because when you are fabulous no one can take that away from you, except yourself!