i just got my hair cut. my hairdresser and i were talking about holidays and family and so forth. i told her i was going to alabama for xmas and was probably going to have to bite my tongue most of the trip about being vegan, thinking this war is fucking stupid, hating bush, and that i don't find racist jokes funny. she told me she thinks it's wrong to bite your tongue when faced with ignorance. for her thanksgiving she heard some racist remarks and she didn't bite her tongue, she said what she tought.
her basic point was, if we all look the other way and pretend we didn't hear it, that ignorance will never be stopped.
her other point was that isn't it more important to stand up for what you believe in than to not upset family you don't really give a fuck about?
now, i'm sure this all seems very obvious, but it really hit me and got me thinking about who i AM versus who i THINK i am. do i stand up for what i believe in consistently or only when it's safe for me to do so? do i avoid conflict at the expense of my beliefs? and isn't it about time i stopped?
best hairdresser ever.
her basic point was, if we all look the other way and pretend we didn't hear it, that ignorance will never be stopped.
her other point was that isn't it more important to stand up for what you believe in than to not upset family you don't really give a fuck about?
now, i'm sure this all seems very obvious, but it really hit me and got me thinking about who i AM versus who i THINK i am. do i stand up for what i believe in consistently or only when it's safe for me to do so? do i avoid conflict at the expense of my beliefs? and isn't it about time i stopped?
best hairdresser ever.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
i'm going to be a hairdresser, and i have the same problems.. i avoid social functions with older, more prudish people (esp: family) beacuse of my lip ring, my pink hair, and my refusal to eat animals. they're ANIMALS. my LAND.
so you know what, fuck it. if they don't like me they can deal with it. i'm living my life and they can live theirs.
woot. yay for awesome journals.
xoxoTeresa