Judgment is something we are all forced to face. However, wouldn't you think that the more mature population (i.e. adults) would be less harsh about a person’s appearance? Ridicule is expected among preteens and teenagers, but adults really should know better.

This past December, I cut off my long hair into a short, neat pixie cut. Since then, I have been called a lesbian and a boy, and the majority of these comments have come from adults. I am not the only one that this has happened to, and I certainly won’t be the last. Just yesterday, a woman called me an “it” to her daughter who could not have been more than seven years old. When are we going to refer to people as just people instead of labeling them based on their appearance or preferences?

It would seem that the only thing that matters is how a person acts, and not how they treat others. I am a firm believer in expression. If you can find a way to let your true personality show, you should. Whether that is art, music, body modifications, poetry, sexual preferences, etc., it should all be for the positive expression and development of you. Pleasing yourself is more important than pleasing the entire world because in the end, it is your life.

As for myself, I love my short hair, and I plan to get tattoos within the next year. When I told my friends that I was thinking about getting tattooed, I was shot down. I was told that no “normal” people would ever want me because I will have tattoos on my body. “Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter.”-Dr. Seuss. I don’t have any deep reason for wanting tattoos other than always being self-conscious of my body and wanting something pretty that I can be proud of. At first I was sad about my friends not fully accepting the idea, but in the end, it is my body and my decision.

The entire purpose of sharing the story about my hair and tattoos is to point out that you cannot live your life to judge other people, or to please other people. For those of you who are ridiculed about things like this, smile. Don’t worry. While you cannot stop people from saying nasty things, you can be around people who are more positive. It is better to die happy because you lived a fulfilling life, than to die sad because you spent your life trying to please someone else.