One-shots

Unique or Unanimous

I want to be a firework. I want to shoot up, ambitious and proud, and then burst out, incandescent in glory, and reach out to the maximum of my potential. I want to rattle the world and bring forth a change for good. Then I want to falter and disappear, too soon. Just like a stunning firework, I want people to remember me as a profound impact on them.

Or, I thought so.

Being unique is hard, when you're expected to be like others. It doesn't matter even though your DNA configuration is different, you are expected to behave the way society wants, the way many people behave because they were moulded that way, just like you are being now.

It's not easy to submit to that. It is in your blood to be different, to be unique. However, you don't get the opportunity to. You're painted red but you can be ketchup or blood or wall paint. But society doesn't allow you to show your difference.

She puts on makeup every day. She doesn't see she is beautiful without it. The problem isn't with her eyes, she has perfect vision, but in her mind that is poisoned by society's expectations. Makeup makes her skin itch, causes acne and pimples. She doesn't realize she needs to stop putting on makeup to get rid of the acne; she is pressured to put more on to hide the 'abnormalities'.

He spends enormous amounts of money on hair gel, colognes, designer clothes and gym subscriptions. He doesn't see he is handsome without it. He sees how society demands him to be. He doesn't realize he's showering the money he could save up for his university tuition. He doesn't realize how burdened he might end up due to debts. Instead, he dolls up more to show he's wealthy and eligible.

This is because our society shapes our thoughts, perceptions and beliefs. This is because cosmetics companies need to earn so they spread the propaganda of perfect skin, radiant looks, and splendid gorgeousness. No one sees themselves for who they are, but who they are classified as. They don't see them through their own eyes; they see them through the eyes of society.

I had cut off my hair in a pixie cut, wore comfortable casual clothes and sneakers and stepped outside. I wish I hadn't. Even though it is not South Korea, people stared at me like I just committed a murder. I felt so alone, even though I was surrounded by people.

Even though I was wearing clothes, I felt like I was parading the streets nude. Some even treated me like laughing stock. They asked me whether I am a girl or a boy. Why was I dressed up like that? My relatives had their eyes out of their sockets in shock. 'What have you done to your hair?' They exclaimed at me. I was scolded for not acting like a girl, for not wearing 'modest' clothes. How are my clothes scandalous, when I'm covered from neck to ankle?

There were times I was nonchalant. There were times when I became angry. There were times I cried because of their treatment of me. I looked at the mirror and saw how ugly I looked. I wished my hair would grow faster. I wished I had more feminine clothes in my wardrobe. I wished I looked more feminine. All of this, just to be accepted by the society I live in.

But that was not me. I, who was once the confident strength among my friends, became the insecure coward to what I had being fighting against. My dream of destroying social stigmas shattered as I myself fall victim to it. Everything seemed to be over for me.

Being unique is nothing 'wrong' when we logically ARE unique due to the configuration of our DNA. Just because someone wants to break out of the standards that society made up, does not mean they are doing wrong. They are just being themselves. Let them be, because we were born to be unique, not unanimous.

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A/N: Hi guys, I had this written up for a contest that is yet to publish the results :( so I decided to upload it here. Hope you all like it :)