Post by Keira Hunter on Mar 27, 2017 1:50:39 GMT
I’m not one to make fun of an individual. I never have been and I never will be. It’s just not who I am. That’s why, I’m not traveling that long winding road into a pit of despair when it comes to Yulia Malakova. What I am going to do, is tell each and every single one of you what this tournament would mean to a girl like me. First though...some backstory.
“BACK THEN”
The whirling screen in front of you takes your time to when things were supposed to be simpler. It was supposed to be black and white whereas nowadays, things are just so...gray...or colorful depending on who you are or how you look at it.
They weren’t as simple as you think. They especially weren’t simple if you were a young girl, skinny as a twig, with a pale complexion, jet black hair, and an affinity for black makeup. I was the epitome of a “Goth Girl” and I guess even to this day, still am. For me, and many others who looked like me, or dressed like me, things weren’t so black and white...they were quite...gray.
For instance, I remember this one time in school, I was doing my best to confine myself from other people. I was sick of their petty insults and their ignorance, and just wanted to be alone. I had found a corner of the quad, behind one of the school rooms and tucked myself away in the shade, hiding myself from the California sun. I was sitting their, writing in my notebook about a story, and occasionally doodling in the margins to help the time go by.
By other’s standards, they would deem me quite artistic, and rather creative. I was filling in one of my doodles when one of the teachers walked up, the clicking of her shoes on the cement that ran up to the grass I was sitting on ending in front of me.
Teacher: Keira, sweetie, why don’t you go hang out with your friends?
I glared up over my notebook, my eyes narrowing.
Keira Hunter: Tell me you’re not serious?
Teacher: I am. You need to socialize with the other kids in class. It’s not healthy to be in solitude.
Keira Hunter: Have you seen what they’ve done to me? Have you heard the hurtful things they’ve said to me? Thanks...but no thanks.
She shook her head.
Teacher: You can’t let the words of those girls get to you. They don’t mean what they’re saying, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t envy who you are.
Keira Hunter: I’m fine where I am. Your concern is appreciated, I just don’t feel I need to endure the fury of the popular girls day in and day out.
She sighed. She could see her intentions were getting through, but they weren’t being received very well. She nodded, accepting defeat.
Teacher: Fine. Have it your way...you’re not hurting anyone but yourself.
She walked off, shaking her head. I didn’t expect her to understand what it was like to be me, to be a girl who was forced into solitude by the cruelty of others. I didn’t expect her to know what it was like to have to accept her role in the hierarchy of high school. She was older, back in her day, I bet things were so black and white that if you couldn’t see the writing on the wall, you were blind.
I was completely fine with sitting in my corner and writing my stories, or drawing in my sketchbook, or whatever other activity I was indulging myself in. I wasn’t hurting anyone. I wasn’t disrupting the flow of the natural orders of the universe. I was just being me...and the sooner the world accepts that...the better off we’ll all be.
“NOW”
Hearing that story, you can’t help but feel a little sympathetic to the loner in high school who didn’t have friends, nor did she really want any. You felt a heaviness in your heart as I opened up to the teacher a bit, but not enough to let her truly understand.
Perhaps...you understand now?
Perhaps you see why I won’t go around bashing a girl on a random night, not because I can’t, because trust me, I’ve heard a lot in my not so lengthy life, but because I choose not to. I choose not to, just like I chose back then to avoid it all, just like I choose now to do me, and lead the way for another generation, shoot, even my generation. I want to show the young girls, and even the boys around the world that being yourself is all you need to be and you shouldn’t let another person change you to fit their mold.
The cameras been paying attention to me all along, and detected a bit of a shrug of my shoulders as I thought about my opponent in the opening round of this tournament.
Perhaps it’s something I admire about you Yulia? Perhaps it’s something that makes me want to be a little like you...and then you open your mouth and I change my mind. What you say half the time doesn’t make much sense to me. I feel as if you’re reading off of cue cards with no real sense of direction. There’s an overall purpose, sure, and you stick to that, and for that you should be praised. You should be patted on the back for not letting the rest of the world change your mind.
But…
If there’s a message to be conveyed, please, make it coherent, make it make sense not only to yourself, but to the rest of the world as well. Then, and perhaps only then, will people start to care.
I stand up from my seated position against the wall, and stand within its shadow, hiding myself from the rays of the sun. I cross my arms over my chest.
It’s part of the message I’m trying to broadcast to the world myself. I want kids of all colors, all lifestyles, all purposes in life to stand up to the peer pressures of the world, not allowing it to dampen their spirits.
I want all those diversities of this world to stand up and let their voices be heard. No longer will they be oppressed by the might of the many, but instead, encouraged by the voices of the few who stand up for what they believe in...like me.
That’s what makes this Diamond in the Rough Tournament so important to me. This allows me a chance to not only get in a match to determine the number one contender for the Diamonds Championship, an aspiration I’ve had since coming into the business a year or so ago, of which I’ll touch on again, but this gives me a bigger platform to let my voice be heard. Winning this tournament, participating in it for that matter allows this face to get on the television sets of people all across the world to tell them that YES...it’s okay to be different. Don’t shy away from it...just thrive because of it.
I take a breath, placing my hands on my hips.
Yulia, I wish you the best of luck in the first round of this tournament, because you represent the different kinds of people I look to inspire. I won’t look to take away your dreams, however, you also won’t advance in this tournament at the sacrifice of my dreams either.
There’s many ways to get to where we’re all trying to go.
I’m sure you’ll find another.
“BACK THEN”
The whirling screen in front of you takes your time to when things were supposed to be simpler. It was supposed to be black and white whereas nowadays, things are just so...gray...or colorful depending on who you are or how you look at it.
They weren’t as simple as you think. They especially weren’t simple if you were a young girl, skinny as a twig, with a pale complexion, jet black hair, and an affinity for black makeup. I was the epitome of a “Goth Girl” and I guess even to this day, still am. For me, and many others who looked like me, or dressed like me, things weren’t so black and white...they were quite...gray.
For instance, I remember this one time in school, I was doing my best to confine myself from other people. I was sick of their petty insults and their ignorance, and just wanted to be alone. I had found a corner of the quad, behind one of the school rooms and tucked myself away in the shade, hiding myself from the California sun. I was sitting their, writing in my notebook about a story, and occasionally doodling in the margins to help the time go by.
By other’s standards, they would deem me quite artistic, and rather creative. I was filling in one of my doodles when one of the teachers walked up, the clicking of her shoes on the cement that ran up to the grass I was sitting on ending in front of me.
Teacher: Keira, sweetie, why don’t you go hang out with your friends?
I glared up over my notebook, my eyes narrowing.
Keira Hunter: Tell me you’re not serious?
Teacher: I am. You need to socialize with the other kids in class. It’s not healthy to be in solitude.
Keira Hunter: Have you seen what they’ve done to me? Have you heard the hurtful things they’ve said to me? Thanks...but no thanks.
She shook her head.
Teacher: You can’t let the words of those girls get to you. They don’t mean what they’re saying, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t envy who you are.
Keira Hunter: I’m fine where I am. Your concern is appreciated, I just don’t feel I need to endure the fury of the popular girls day in and day out.
She sighed. She could see her intentions were getting through, but they weren’t being received very well. She nodded, accepting defeat.
Teacher: Fine. Have it your way...you’re not hurting anyone but yourself.
She walked off, shaking her head. I didn’t expect her to understand what it was like to be me, to be a girl who was forced into solitude by the cruelty of others. I didn’t expect her to know what it was like to have to accept her role in the hierarchy of high school. She was older, back in her day, I bet things were so black and white that if you couldn’t see the writing on the wall, you were blind.
I was completely fine with sitting in my corner and writing my stories, or drawing in my sketchbook, or whatever other activity I was indulging myself in. I wasn’t hurting anyone. I wasn’t disrupting the flow of the natural orders of the universe. I was just being me...and the sooner the world accepts that...the better off we’ll all be.
“NOW”
Hearing that story, you can’t help but feel a little sympathetic to the loner in high school who didn’t have friends, nor did she really want any. You felt a heaviness in your heart as I opened up to the teacher a bit, but not enough to let her truly understand.
Perhaps...you understand now?
Perhaps you see why I won’t go around bashing a girl on a random night, not because I can’t, because trust me, I’ve heard a lot in my not so lengthy life, but because I choose not to. I choose not to, just like I chose back then to avoid it all, just like I choose now to do me, and lead the way for another generation, shoot, even my generation. I want to show the young girls, and even the boys around the world that being yourself is all you need to be and you shouldn’t let another person change you to fit their mold.
The cameras been paying attention to me all along, and detected a bit of a shrug of my shoulders as I thought about my opponent in the opening round of this tournament.
Perhaps it’s something I admire about you Yulia? Perhaps it’s something that makes me want to be a little like you...and then you open your mouth and I change my mind. What you say half the time doesn’t make much sense to me. I feel as if you’re reading off of cue cards with no real sense of direction. There’s an overall purpose, sure, and you stick to that, and for that you should be praised. You should be patted on the back for not letting the rest of the world change your mind.
But…
If there’s a message to be conveyed, please, make it coherent, make it make sense not only to yourself, but to the rest of the world as well. Then, and perhaps only then, will people start to care.
I stand up from my seated position against the wall, and stand within its shadow, hiding myself from the rays of the sun. I cross my arms over my chest.
It’s part of the message I’m trying to broadcast to the world myself. I want kids of all colors, all lifestyles, all purposes in life to stand up to the peer pressures of the world, not allowing it to dampen their spirits.
I want all those diversities of this world to stand up and let their voices be heard. No longer will they be oppressed by the might of the many, but instead, encouraged by the voices of the few who stand up for what they believe in...like me.
That’s what makes this Diamond in the Rough Tournament so important to me. This allows me a chance to not only get in a match to determine the number one contender for the Diamonds Championship, an aspiration I’ve had since coming into the business a year or so ago, of which I’ll touch on again, but this gives me a bigger platform to let my voice be heard. Winning this tournament, participating in it for that matter allows this face to get on the television sets of people all across the world to tell them that YES...it’s okay to be different. Don’t shy away from it...just thrive because of it.
I take a breath, placing my hands on my hips.
Yulia, I wish you the best of luck in the first round of this tournament, because you represent the different kinds of people I look to inspire. I won’t look to take away your dreams, however, you also won’t advance in this tournament at the sacrifice of my dreams either.
There’s many ways to get to where we’re all trying to go.
I’m sure you’ll find another.
Well howdy there pardner.