People are so incredibly diverse, it's one of the most amazing things about the world as a whole in my opinion. Every person has their own individual traits, opinions, style, thoughts, and so on. Not one person is the same as another and that fascinates me.
This has interested me for as long as I can remember. Throughout my life, I’ve loved people watching. Where ever I go I’m always interested in others; how they interact, what they do, what they're wearing, how they express themselves, what they're thinking. When I went to New York City a few years ago I ended up falling asleep on the air conditioner unit with my head pressed up against the window. I had stayed up almost all night watching the people in the apartment building a few blocks down, I watched the people in each of the different colorful rooms and kept up with them. I gave them names, backstories and family members and though what I was doing was a little creepy I was so happy. I loved seeing how diverse each person was through their style, mannerisms and actions, how each room was so different yet they were all living in the same building under the same roof. I watched a couple watch TV on their couch while their dog sat next to them in a completely monochromatic room, I saw a girl get up and go to her fridge in her bright blue kitchen to get a snack, I saw a man come home and close his curtains leaving only his red tinted silhouette. That was when I realized how fascinated I was with the diversity of people.
This led to my strong opinion regarding self-expression. People should be allowed to express their individuality in any way they want. These actions of expression and contrast from the rest of society shouldn't be looked down on or judged because of what they choose to do with themselves or their bodies. Tattoos, piercings, hair dye, or really any style choices that differ from your own should not be looked down on, if anything,you should do the opposite, and celebrate these differences. Our society as a whole needs to encourage self-expression and individuality more. We need to aim to be ourselves, not someone else. This is probably something you've heard a thousand times but never truly took to heart, but express yourself! Overall, make sure you're aiming to be yourself by showing more of your personality through your outward expression rather than trying to become someone else. Show who you are, the eleven-year-old me wouldn't have sat on the freezing air conditioning unit all night if the rooms were the same from the outside, even if they did differ on the inside.
