Hello, my name is Kiera. I’m a 24 year old black woman and… I am a country music junkie.

Why is that a big deal? Well to me it isn’t, but apparently to the streaming handfuls of people that have whispered taunts of “whitewashed” as they have moved in and out of my life, it is. Silly them, so many other things to devote love and attention to, but my musical preference ranks high on their list of atrocities. I’ve always been, ahem, unique in this way and I’m not quite sure where it came from because I’m the only one in my immediately family that belts out George Strait on a regular basis. By now you know I always like to look for the bigger lesson. So what is it here?

I don’t care – not then and not now; I let my freak flag fly high no matter what and I fully accept this piece of myself. This may seem like a trivial aspect of my life to attribute such a lesson to, but it’s applicable to anything that you continue to pursue in the face of adversity. I get nasty comments and stares from people that know me and people that don’t, but I will continue to Boot Scoot ‘n Boogie long past the soles of my boots wear down.

Racism is still alive and well today and not always in the forms we’re used to seeing; most of my experience with racism comes from other black people. Unfortunately today’s world still spends too much time on what happened and how to repair the irreparable and not nearly enough on moving forward with a united front – one love. The Cheerio’s commercial featuring an interracial couple, the Brad Paisley song ft. LL Cool J – movements to get people talking about it are lost in judgement and fear.

I don’t spend too much time dwelling on this subject – I don’t need anyone to understand why I adore what I adore and I don’t need to seek out others like me in order to be validated. Just random ramblings of something that’s been on my mind. Have you ever been teased for something you love? How do/did you deal with it?

I’d like to leave you with this from Ms. Kacey Musgraves:

Say what you think. Love who you love.

Cause you just get so many trips round the sun.

Yeah, you only, only live once.

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