Soooo, who’s weirder – me for creating a post about awkward ovaries or you for reading it? Yeah, so, I’ll give you a minute to marinate on that one …
Now that we’ve confirmed your weirdness, let the conversation continue. You should know up front that the title of this post shouldn’t be taken literally. I’m not discussing awkward ovaries. In fact, this discussion is about me – and a community of people you may know or relate to.
So where’d awkward ovaries come from chick?
Well, by virtue of this piece we’ve established that I’m a little different – hence awkward –and I also happen to be female. Get it? No? Ok, hang on, I’ll get there.
I had a curious conversation with my aunt and mother the other day about what happens when a woman loses her uterus. No, this post isn’t going to be about female organs. I’m making a point here. Scroll on.
Anyway I mused about what happens to a woman’s body in the space in which the uterus once existed. As in: does the cavity emit a whistling sound like you’d get with a missing front tooth? Do the other organs reshape and take up the newly found space? Is there an echo? And the zinger: what does one do with a removed uterus? Dump? Preserve? Cryofreeze? By now I suspect that you’re rolling your eyes, laughing or shaking your head. But this, my friends is what I mean by different, weird, quirky, unique, awkward. These are real thoughts, and conversations that this chick (points to self) has. Most people stare at me in dumbfounded awe; others (my favoritist people) actually engage in dialogue.
That’s great. You’re weird I’m
So imagine my sheer joy when I came across the viral hit that is The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and found someone who articulated what I often thought and felt but could never say out loud. This awkward online mecca confirmed what I long ago denied: I’m Black and I’m Awkward. Ok, maybe I didn’t deny the black part … that’s just too hard but the awkwardness, yeah, totally clueless. Needless to say, once I joined this MABG community I found others (including friends who shall remain nameless to protect their faux normal) who were just like me. Slowly, we pointed at each other and professed: “You’re awkward! Me too!”
And that, my friends is what this is all about. In case you hadn't figured it out you've now reached the moral responsibility portion of this grandstand.
Ah c'mon, don't leave now you're almost done.
In this age of Cee-Lo Green, Nikki Minaj and Gaga it’s time to realize that different goes beyond gimmicky. Quirky is becoming cool and there are social communities sprouting up online and at Lil’ Wayne concerts that reek of odd but also acceptance. Take MTV's television show titled -- "Awkward" -- which targets teens, those same followers of the aforementioned artists, who may feel alone in this great wide and pretty critical world. Where black, adult and awkward is kinda hard, recall pre-adult 16. You know, those hormonal years where you had to contend with your parents, your peers and your own personality? Yep, this show focuses on that and then some.
The appeal of these artists, shows and web series is that they create an environment for the different to exist in all their kooky glory. They constantly reassure: hey, you’re ok just as you are. And in the Lady Monster's case,speak openly about personal struggles with being an outcast. She's admired, by me and others, because she never shies away from her strange. She constantly pushes the envelope and doesn’t try to be anything other than awkward.
Luckily, I took a cue from Gaga before she gaga’d. I’m old enough now to care a little less about what people think of me. In fact, the older I’ve become the stranger I’ve allowed myself to be: whether singing loudly to elevator music or recreating R&B music videos in my car. I acknowledged that I had to stop caring what other people thought about me because they didn’t determine my joy -- a joy that peaked when I was being goofy ol’ me. There are others who haven’t experienced this epiphany and who, quite honestly, haven’t found the courage to embrace their swagless swag. Maybe a family member, friend or colleague does things that make you *smh*, *LOL*, or shout *wtf*. Rather than labeling, disassociating from or denying them try singing along to their offbeat tune, jumping in for a two-person flash mob or otherwise encouraging their noncomformity. You never know, you might realize you really are awkward too!
No comments:
Post a Comment