One day, while attending an event with my friend, I heard a woman call another woman "Baldie" as if that was her name. Each time someone called out "Baldie," she would respond. I didn't understand it. Why were they calling her Baldie, and why was she okay with it? My friend told me it was like a term of endearment. Ever since she was a little girl, her hair had been hard to grow, and it was always short. So, everyone started calling her Baldie.
When I was a little girl, being called "Baldie" because of my short hair was hurtful. The word "Baldie" was used like it was a horrible thing for a female to have short hair or no hair at all. When a female with short hair got into an argument with a name-caller, the next thing you knew, you were hearing words like "Baldie," "Bald Head," "Bald-headed," and "Bally-B." It wasn't a term of endearment; it was something name-callers pointed out about you that they didn't find appealing. The same way they'd do if you were what they thought was too big or too small, too short or too tall, too light or too dark, or just not meeting their standards.
There were some who didn't wait for you to upset them to call you names. They'd call you names just for the sake of being mean, because apparently, they were miserable people. The name-callers all had the same goal: to tear down your self-esteem.
So, I wrote this to tell you: it's okay if you don't measure up to other people's standards. Embrace yourself, strive to achieve your goals, and enjoy the journey. And, of course, focus on what truly matters.