Times are changing rapidly from when I was in grade school, but somethings are still the same. One of the things I’ve noticed that seems to be the same is that if a little girl doesn’t want to play with makeup and wear dresses, she is considered odd and not feminine enough. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and thinking back on how I grew up. So here is a letter to the young tomboy.
Dear Young Tomboy,
You are riding your bike, or skateboard, down your street. You fall and scrape your knee, but you don’t care. Other girls your age are in pink dresses, pig tails and ruffled white socks. You choose to wear your hair wild and down, cargo pants, gym shoes and a large T-shirt. You are comfortable with who you are and enjoy “boy” things. Most of your friends are guys and you tussle with them all the time. Your heroes are Michelle Rodriguez, Lara Croft, Mulan, Charlie’s Angels and Kim Possible. These are all women who are strong, beautiful and can beat up a boy if they want to. Ever since you heard the word "tomboy" you loved it and identified with it.
As you get older you notice you are different than other girls. You get made fun of and feel left out by the girls in your grade. When you go to birthday parties, other girls are in dresses and have bows in their hair. You are in your normal outfit, your brother's hand me down jeans and a zip up. This time, you don’t feel as confident and comfortable. You try makeup, and you actually kind of like it, but you swear you don’t because you have been defending your look since you were 10 years old. You swore that you would never like dresses, makeup or anything else that would be considered “girly." As you grow older, your heroes stay the same, but your wardrobe starts to change.
You start liking dresses, for when they are deemed necessary, and you find some that fit well and make you look just as cool as your normal clothes do. But you feel like you are betraying your younger self. You are not. It’s natural for your style to change and grow as you change and grow. As you get older, you learn more about yourself and who you are. There is nothing wrong with change. You don’t need to justify your outfit choice every time you want to casually wear a dress and heels. If you want to wear a bow in your hair, it doesn’t matter. I learned that I can do all the things I did in my cargo shorts and gym shoes in a dress and heels. People might comment on the scars from the falls out of trees or off of your bike, but who cares? They are a part of you and your story. If you want to wear a dress, then do it and if you never got the point of them, then you don’t have to, that is your decision. You are no less of a woman than the one who wore pink dresses from day one. Be proud of who you were, who you are and who you will become. She is strong, beautiful, intelligent and kind and that is a wonderful thing.
Sincerely,
A Fellow Tomboy
