There is one girl in my life who is constantly unapologetic for who she is; ever truly herself.
One girl who wears her personality like a garment.
One girl who is loud when others are silent though they shouldn't be.
One woman who cuts through a conversation with a knife, daring you to respond.
There is one girl in my life who demands respect.
One girl in my life who speaks her mind all the time, who is not ashamed for being every drop of who she is.
And she is pure gold.
And you know what else?
She's not like me.
I? I grew up training to keep my emotions and myself in check.
I wear metaphorical masks of aspects of my personality and always toned down, never to my fullest intensity.
I grow silent about things I believe I have no place to speak about.
I measure my words, fearful of offending.
And most days I get respect from most regardless what I say or do so I feel lost when I don't get respect instead of feeling angry when I should.
I've gotten into the habit of keeping my opinions to myself, keeping who I am to some degree inside all the time.
There is one girl in my life who I look at, and I see her, and I say, "How beautiful. How much of her is not me. I need that difference in my life. I want her influence, her intensity, her perspective and thoughts and voice and choices around me, near me, beside me. I need this friend."
And you know what else?
We're not alike.
That's what's so incredible, so amazing.
I was blind to the fact before.
I prayed for people to come into my life to change me for the better. Now, I see the next step. I see her. And I need her around.
Our ethnicity is not the same, our backgrounds are so different, her opinions on many things so separate from my own, our appearances nothing alike, our cultures almost alien to each other.
But in THAT is the real beauty.
We as humans have a tendency of leaning towards sameness, pushing to be around those like us and denying the presence of anything that unsettles us, makes us uncomfortable and not fit in.
But there is a greater, stronger, better, bolder unity in uniqueness.
But all this is pointless as long as no one moves to empty a seat for the welcomed, and no allowance for change produces stagnancy and stunts our growth of who we are.
I think we need to change our mindset, from standing idly by.
Yes, I am educated. Aren't I not to use that education to benefit others?
Yes, I am privileged. But what am I to do with this privilege? Should I not use that privilege to help those who have less privilege than I?
It's time to change the way we speak.
It's time to say, "You're not just welcome here, you are wanted here."
This is what I say to her.
She is so much better than me in so many ways.
Ya know what girl? White girls are envious that you be you everyday.
In meeting you I have chanced upon a beautiful precious stone that shines colors that this precious stone doesn't compare to.
I have prayed for someone like you to come around that by just being you, you're daring me to say more, do more, be more. That can never be taken away.
You inspire.
Inspired by a friend and the speaking of Micah Bournes (http://www.micahbournes.com/).