The Mask You Live In

"Blue is for boys and pink is for girls" is what you would typically think of when discussing gender. Growing up with 3 older sisters was difficult when all of us enjoyed different things. Ever since I could remember, I was always a daddy's girl and wanted to spend all of my time and do things with him rather than my mother. My father was adventurous and spent all of his time outdoors when he had the opportunity. I would always follow him with whatever he was doing, even if that meant getting my hands dirty. A tomboy is what I would have considered myself back then in relation to the way I acted, things I wore, and how I interacted with others at school. All through elementary school and middle school, majority of my friends were boys, if not all. Girls would always look at me strangely and wonder why I was not spending my time with them instead. Like most girls do growing up, I did not have that "bestfriend" to do everything with like makeovers and tea parties. I preferred to chill with the guys and have fun without worrying what anyone else thought. The "boy toys" such as Legos always seemed so much more fun than the "girl toys" such as barbies. I would always do what the boys did at birthday parties but heard the parents talk and say that I should be doing what the girls were doing because "I was one of them", not a boy. No matter what you enjoy, or what you want in life, you should not focus on what others say; you should just be yourself.