Yet my eyes were open today to what people who walk on the wild side face. I don't think I was ever a wild child. Sure I have my 14 ear holes and now my pink hair to contend with, but underneath the facade, I'm just plain old Tracy who wants to try new and different things that some people may find hard to stomach. Mom asked me to dye my hair back to its original color because I cannot go to church looking like that and people will think I'm some prostitute or formulate a bad impression of me. When has our society degenerated into one where people lived only for the opinions of others?
Before the pink hair, I was never subjected to such scrutiny or worries because I was 'safe', but honestly, I never really cared about the opinions of others, or rather, I never let them dictate my life. I'm still the same person, that has never changed, and maybe it's proud of me to say this, but I've always lived by my own principle that as long as I can answer to myself and to God, I have nothing to worry about. Going to church looking like that should not even be an issue because if it is, then the church is just one big hypocritical organisation as it is supposed to preach the good news that ALL MEN may come to know God. I'm not ashamed to stand before God looking like this, and He is the only one we should even answer to. Jesus died that we may have everlasting life, and this includes the poor, the lame, the blind, even the criminals. He didn't die just so the well off and well dressed may have everlasting life. Christianity is not supposed to be an exclusive religion, and in fact, it is a relationship that we as individuals have with God, and I know I have that relationship. Jesus in His ministry here on earth, chose to be among the lame, the poor, the diseased, and the prostitutes. How dare any of us have such audacity to then judge whether a person is fit to go to church?
I wouldn't call this a mistake, but even if it was, I'm not perfect. Everyone makes at least one wrong move in their lives. Pink hair will always fade and grow back out. It's not permanent, and in all honesty, I don't see anything wrong with it. Society needs to learn to change and expand its views outside of that little niche it resides in and see the individuals living on the fringe of the circle. With such a myopic view of the standards of society that people have laid down for themselves, it comes as no surprise that very few actually dare to try something different for fear of being ostracized and condemned. I think I'm individualistic to a certain extent, and I certainly know my limitations and am old enough to make proper judgments for my life.
"One’s independent judgment reflects her will, her desires and her own reasoned valuations. Thus, only one’s independent judgment can or should command one’s actions if she seeks to be an individual rather than an employee of another’s desires." - Bertrand Russel
(Read by Max McLean. Provided by The Listener's Audio Bible.)