Michelle's POZ Blog

****WARNING-- I have smoked a joint before writing this so my thoughts are a bit scattered.***

It's a Saturday afternoon. I spent most of it doing my hair or more specifically sewing in some weave with my own hair. Not that my own hair is short, it goes just a bit past my shoulders, I just have a hard time doing anything with it. It doesn't like holding a curl whether it's during the summer or winter. I guess it has to do with my heritage. Anyhoo, most girls in the hood know how to do things such as weaving, braids or glue in tracks. I consider it a practical thing to know considering it saves me money.

I know, I know, get to the point right? While doing my hair, I began to think about things that white people and black people do to be like the other culture. Not that I have a problem with this, I think it's great to know about other cultures and their way of doing things. And please consider this entry as a light hearted somewhat comedic view of how I see some things. I guess I will start with my culture or half of it----Blacks or the politically correct name, African- Americans.

What is the fascination with black women and weaves? Of course, I include myself in this since I am wearing some. I'm sure there are a lot of women out there like myself who do it for convenence, it saves time when you have things to do. But being that I live in the hood, I see plenty of weave. Some of it is complimentary to the person sporting it and some border on the verge of being simply outrageous. What happened to the time of being natural? Do you consider yourself trying to be white by making your hair longer? And why does it seem like it takes a black woman forever to grow their own hair but white girls can cut their hair one day and a month later it's long again. And another thing, why would a white girl want to put weave in their hair when it's long already?

And let's move on to color contacts, shall we? Once again, I do include myself in this. I can understand matching a color that goes with your skin tone or looks natural. But blue or the ones that make your eyes look like cats. In all my years I have never seen a black person with blue eyes, green on occasion but even with seeing the green, it was a tip off that there was some mixed heritage going on. I played with the hazel ones because with my mixed heritage I could pull it off. I wouldn't consider wearing the cats ones or any other outrageous color unless it was Halloween and part of the costume. Just because I have a house full of cats doesn't mean I want to be one.

Now this one really had me going, hmmm since I was a young girl. My adopted mother is white and every summer once it got warm, she always would tan. Not sure if she was aware of her chances of getting skin cancer but I always wondered what was the fascination with being tan. And as I got older, I was often called the N word but wondered how someone who was white could call someone black that word. But at the same time be out in the sun trying to obtain a black person's color. And since scientists have concluded too much sun can be harmful to your health, white people now go to tanning booths to cook themselves or buy some type of tan in a bottle that you spray on.Then they go home to try it out and a day later they now resemble "The Great Pumpkin".

I can laugh about it now but it also caused me a lot of problems growing up.I had a hard time bonding with black girls because I went to Catholic schools and my mother was white. I remember being called "Snow White" because they thought I was mixed with white when I am mixed with Puerto Rican. Kids can be cruel. Now remember I am not bringing this up to be racist but to show a funny side to it all. And if I have offended anyone by talking this way, I apologize.

And while reading this entry if any of you have experienced something that made or makes you go...."Hmmmmmm, please share it. If anyone can answer someone's query please respond. This entry is meant as something fun, emotional and even educational. I guess you can say this is my time to get to know those who follow my blog or those just starting to read it. And though I usually never delete any comments left, if anyone comments in an ignorant or bigoted type of way, I will delete your comment.