What is pink if not a girl
Pink was never just a color.Β
Ever since the day my mom found out I was a girl, the world decided I would be pink. I watched princesses on our TV and dreamed of tea parties. The first photo of me was more pink than human. I disappeared into a world of pink because when you are a girl, you do not get the choice of blue. It is either pink or purple, and I did always have a distaste for purple.
So as I grew, so did the blob of pink. As I moved into a bigger bed with my age the sheets remained pink. The furniture was white and pink. I was gifted dolls in pink dresses and blonde hair. I watched shows with girls dressed in pink with blonde hair.Β
I was in second grade when I gained consciousness of the pink surrounding me. I realized that I did not like pink. No, instead I loved black, blue, and red like my older brother. So I religiously wore a jacket tied around my waist, and Under Armour hoodies my brother gave me. I brushed my curly hair until it poofed because the girls in my class said everyone should brush their hair in the morning. I would watch as other girls braided each other's hair and ran combs through it.
By fifth grade, I rejected everything girly, yet I wore a skirt every day. I was weird, and everyone reminded me of it. I rejected my girlhood because I believed the only way to get back at the stereotypes was to outperform them.Β
Pink was never just a color. It was the thing that held me captive. I love pink, and I love frills. I wear bows and lace. I even wear dresses. Pink held the idea of weakness, of women who need love to save them from death.
