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As some of you know, I have been lightening for 3 full weeks, going into week 4. Besides being happy with my results so far, there is something else I've noticed. People i encounter are treating me differently! In my University, there are many students from India & Pakistan. While none of them were mean to me before or mistreated me in any way, they were not friendly. Now, many of them go out of their way to speak to me. They make eye-contact. They smile back. they talk to me. The social impact of a lighter complexion is remarkable. In many Asian cultures, fair skin speaks of social status & success (issues like modernity also come into play). It was something I never truly noticed until late last week.
I have mixed feelings about this. I did not lighten because I thought it would make me a 'better' human being: I come from a successful upper middle class bkgnd. My husband is very successful & I have been fortunate & blessed with living 'the good life'. I'm slim & naturally attractive & very thankful for these gifts. The assumption by mant people that I am somehow 'better' because of a cosmetic change seems ridiculous. After all, I am the same person I was 3 weeks ago. It must be tough indeed for our truly dark complected didters & brothers who are good people yet go unacknowledged due to social prejudices and stereotypes.
As a consequence of my new awareness, I will go out of my way to be kinder to & acknowledge those people who are darker & tend to be ignored or derided. I love the way my lighter colour looks, but it is not a permit to visit bigotry on others or delude myself into believing that I am now 'entitled' or better than anyone else.
I have mixed feelings about this. I did not lighten because I thought it would make me a 'better' human being: I come from a successful upper middle class bkgnd. My husband is very successful & I have been fortunate & blessed with living 'the good life'. I'm slim & naturally attractive & very thankful for these gifts. The assumption by mant people that I am somehow 'better' because of a cosmetic change seems ridiculous. After all, I am the same person I was 3 weeks ago. It must be tough indeed for our truly dark complected didters & brothers who are good people yet go unacknowledged due to social prejudices and stereotypes.
As a consequence of my new awareness, I will go out of my way to be kinder to & acknowledge those people who are darker & tend to be ignored or derided. I love the way my lighter colour looks, but it is not a permit to visit bigotry on others or delude myself into believing that I am now 'entitled' or better than anyone else.