Black-White Divide

Writing Prompt:

Are the rules different when within your culture versus outside of it? Reflect on a time when you acted differently or were aware of a different expectation of you for being an outsider. What was that experience like?

I suppose every group/culture has their own rules. They might not be said outright, but everybody knows them, or at least, they should. Breaking them is like slapping that group in the face. Instead of rules, they’re more of a expectations kind of thing. People expect you to act a certain because of your appearance, whichever group they think you fit in.

But the thing is, people don’t fit neatly into perfect little boxes. I might be of a certain race, but that does not define who I am. I might like doing certain things, but that isn’t all there is to my life. I might believe in a certain religion, but that speaks nothing about my personality, or my experiences.

I’m not sure if I could ever say I ever felt I was part of a particular culture, but I can say that I’ve been subject to plenty of disbelief. I can’t exactly blame them for that though. There was a time when I acted exactly as they thought I would. But something inside me changed while my appearance didn’t, and that created a huge disparity in me that people couldn’t understand. I must say, it was kinda annoying at first. They were making such a big fuss over nothing. Who says I can’t do this or say that?