Once upon a time there was a girl whose dreams were as wild as her hair. Her eyes reflected unadulterated brilliance and her legs propelled forward a soul that could shake worlds. Her future was at the tips of her olive hands...until, she discovered she was not her own. Her hair was far too full and made men stare, her eyes were far too big and belonged to the bedroom, and her legs were too strong, so those around her put them in chains.
The unfortunate reality of the world I call home is that my body is not my own. I am told how to look, how to dress, what to say, and how to move. If I choose baggy jeans I am a prude and if I choose shorts I am a slut. If I feel confident in the skin that holds old bones I am whistled at and reduced to a "hey baby." My body is not my own.
In fact, a high school student recently decided she would rather appear at school without a bra...no big deal right? Wrong. She was quickly detained and told that she was making male teachers feel uncomfortable. Her body was making a male teacher uncomfortable. Of course, the story went viral, storming Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube as a debate sparked on whether abandoning conventional clothing is dress code appropriate.
Many make the argument that a fully developed girl (I use this word intentionally) parading around without her "over the shoulder boulder holder" can attract unwanted male attention, forcing them to objectify her (my words are dripping with sarcasm). What this opposition fails to realize is that a GIRL who just received her learner's permit is not sexy. She is, legally, a child. She can't vote, rent a car, buy cigarettes, or even decide if she wants to attend school. The fact that a male teacher found her bra-less chest "distracting" is the very thing wrong with society.
See, boobs aren't inherently sexual; yet, society as made them to be. No matter the age, breasts seem to be a free pass to rob females of their own bodies. My body's main purpose becomes to be a visual stimulation.
Never fear, it gets worse. It is now MY responsibility to help guide men in the path of purity. How dare I wear a bikini and lead them into the fiery waters of temptation? I once heard a classmate of mine state that she wanted to wait until marriage to have sex. She followed by saying that she dresses modestly to prove to her boyfriend that she truly does value waiting. I'm sorry but I don't care if I'm naked, if I say I don't want to have sex, you don't get to say I don't mean it. Yet again, my body is not my own.
The saddest part yet is that my body is a masterpiece. It's perfectly flawed and powerful enough to climb moments, bare children, and run a country (#begrudginglyhillary2k16). Society has done its absolute best to reduce my body to a sexual entity. God forbid my boobs fall naturally or you happen to see a hardened nipple! My body is not a distraction, it is mine. My body is not walking porn, it is mine. My body is not inherently sexual, it is inherently beautiful and it is mine.
