Recently, I posted this on Instagram:
A friend wanted me to elaborate on it more
and I can’t believe I haven’t posted about this yet. I really have been meaning
to.
To start I’m going to tell you a story…
In high school (my senior year), I was trying to get a job. That year was the same
year I decided to dye two pieces of my hair pink. (Below is the only good
picture of then.)
So with getting the job, I applied to
Mathnasium. The owner that I talked to was super positive about my interview
and application. He told me every employee had to talk a math test, but he
mostly said it was just a formality in my case.
I came back a few days later to take the
simple test and that’s when I met his wife, who also owned the business with
him. She came over and introduced herself and I stood up and shook her hand.
Something in her body language or eyes suggested something about me bothered
her, but I didn’t really think on it very much.
I turned in the test and the guy I
originally talked to, told me they wanted me to come back in on Friday to fill
out the paperwork. He said they would call me with the specific details.
A few days passed and Friday was right
around the corner, but I hadn’t gotten a call. I called them up and talked to
the guy who had always been nice to me. Immediately I knew something was off
based on his tone. He proceeded to tell me I didn’t score high enough on the
test and they were going to have to pass.
I hung up the phone and I knew his wife
didn’t like me because of my pink hair. I could’ve taken that math test in my
sleep and I noticed the way she had looked at me.
Never before had I felt so judged. In
school I’d always been the smart girl. In that one look that woman gave me, I
felt like I shouldn’t deserve to work anywhere. She looked down her nose at me
like she was better than me.
This is the reason I wrote what I did on
my Instagram post. I wished that I could choose to look any way I want (which
for me, is pretty much experimenting with my hair color) and not be judged to
be a druggie or irresponsible. I think it’s terrible that this form of
judgement is socially acceptable in our society because the job market is consumed
with it.
My hair has never been an indication of
anything else but that I like pink and I like to express myself in ways that
don’t require me to get up in front of people or that make me demand attention. I’ve always been the
person that likes to be a bit different than others. I dislike following the
crowd just because it’s the popular thing to do. I try to stand out without
standing apart or completely alone. (If that makes any sense.)
Back to the point. I really wish I didn’t
have to conform to standards that say I’m not hire-able when I have unnaturally
colored hair. And, I totally understand how these standards came about, but
colored hair is getting more popular with people who are responsible and hard
workers. My pink hair doesn’t define my personality, my personality defines my
pink hair.
People get so wrapped up in first
impressions and how they think people will be, that they miss out on getting to
know so many great people. I’ll easily admit that I have definitely fallen into
this category and later developed great friendships with people who I thought I
wouldn’t like because I judged them.
