No!! You Should Be Ashamed

You know! I'm sick and tired of people breaking other people down. I'm sick and tired of people discrediting others because of their differences. I'm sick and tired of being made to feel guilty because I do not fit the stereotype that others think I should fall under. I'm sick and tired of having to try and prove myself so that I can be accepted. Forget that!!! I am who I am, and NO ONE has any right to tell me any differently - you did not create me, you didn't raise me, so unless you have something nice to say...
Maybe just keep your comments and opinions to yourself!

Why so angry???

Well I recently had a person come up to me one evening and excitedly tell me that they were learning to speak Tswana, which is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa, and also happens to be my home language. So after assuming correctly that that was the South African culture I "belonged" to, they proceeded to excitedly state that I would then be able to help them learn the language.

Now I'm all for helping people learn when I can and in this case it would have been the perfect opportunity to function in my realm of strengths. Unfortunately, I do not speak Tswana (yea much to the disgust of many - whatever!!); I have spoken English since I was iddy biddy and unfortunately lost Tswana along the way. Now it's not that I can't completely speak the language because I do hear and understand the it, however, I find it quite difficult to have a conversation and/or express myself properly in it, so I just don't bother unless I absolutely have to.

Now that you're done judging me for my so called lack of cultural pride (if you weren't done, no worries I'll let you resume just now but permit me to distract you for a second); consider for one moment all the emotional damage that I have had to deal with, because I apparently shunned my traditional background. Think about all the insecurities that I have had to live with, because I didn't fit the mould people were trying to put me in. So you can only imagine how it must've felt to hear the words "Tshego, you're black! You should be ashamed!!!" - Yes! The words cut like a knife... A big fat knife to your Achilles tendon (apparently that is uber painful and leaves you crippled for life) and I almost lost it...

Now, I understand that it may have been a joke and that it wasn't intended to offend me in any way, but it did and it brought up a whole lot of past hurts... But instead of cowering away and crying in my little corner as I am accustomed to doing, I chose to stand up against it!!! "You know, I've been hearing that all my life and it's no wonder so many people have so many issues... I'm so over constantly being broken down like this... you don't know me and frankly I don't care what you think, so just leave me alone!"

Strangely enough I wasn't angry, I was just very irritated and all I could think of, was that girl starving herself because she's not "pretty enough"; that nerd cutting himself because he's not "cool enough", that kid who's thinking of ending it all because they didn't see the point of carrying on... why? All because some stupid comment was made about them being different.

Now, I am aware that this rant probably wont make any difference to the world whatsoever, and I am aware that I'll probably face more opposition because of it... But I don't care! I'm making a stand, I'm making some noise. I'm not going to sit back and just take it anymore, because enough is enough! We've all got our differences; we've all got our talents and shortfalls, that's what makes us unique. So instead of letting our insecurities get the better of us, let's beat up the insecurities but doing the unexpected. Let's start uplifting and encouraging each other. Let's start rooting for each other, let's be nice to each other.

Yes! Things happen and people do the strangest things, things we don't always understand.
But, the world is damaged enough as it is; it doesn't need you to add to the hurt in any way, so unless you have something kind and or helpful to say... maybe just keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself.

And to those who have been taken out by the world's harshness.... Don't believe it.. you are more than what they will ever know and they have no right to tell you otherwise!