i am not my hair

Have you heard this song by India.Arie? First of all, I love her. I think she's ultra-talented and a lot of her songs have a very positive message. Lately I've been hearing a lot about looks and how important they are. Sometimes when I'm watching TV I'm just amazed at how skinny some of the celebrities are. I told Brian the other day, "She's so small, it doesn't seem like there would be room for her insides!"

I wish our society didn't put such an emphasis on looks. I wish I could go out in shorts and a t-shirt with no makeup and be treated the same as I'm treated when I have on a nice outfit and my makeup is done. But the reality is, how I look is directly related to how I'm treated. It's interesting. But sad. Anyway, here are some of the lyrics to India's new song:

I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within.

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend?
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
I am expressing my creativity.

Cool, huh? This is the same girl who, a few years back, sang:

Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I'll comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depending how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul.

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally because I am a queen.
I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be India Arie.

When I look in the mirror the only one there is me
Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be
And I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me
My feet, my thighs, my lips, my eyes, I'm lovin' what I see.

Once again, awesome lyrics. We need more of this these days. Especially our little girls, who are growing up and learning that the most important thing is to be pretty and skinny.

Give India a listen.