Recently, I stumbled upon an Instagram post by Femme Cabal which really resonated with me. The post read “I was not made to be subtle”. If you know me, you might know why this quote meant so much to me. If you don’t know me, I am happy to tell you that I am a loud, opinionated, and outspoken woman. Essentially, I am the opposite of subtle. Be this as it may, there was a long time in my life where I wasn’t as happy to proclaim this.
Growing up, the most common phrase uttered by my peers to describe me was “too much”. And this kind of chatter did not end with my peers. Parents of my friends, school teachers, and even romantic interests over the years all muttered some variation of the above phrase. I quickly became not only accustomed to being pointed out as “different” or “too much”, but began to believe these claims as true. Maybe being loud did put people off. Perhaps being an outspoken young girl was too much for others to take. Could it be that I should take it down a notch?
Now, when I look back on the characteristics that set me apart from my peers as a child, I realize that there are still strong aspects of my personality. As an academic, a feminist, and as a woman with her aspirations set on the law, I now realize that the characteristics that isolated me for much of my youth have brought me exactly where I had dreamed I would be one day.
This article is not supposed to be an ode to those who were frustrated by me in my youth. Not in the least. This article is to tell you that it is okay, great even, to be unapologetically you. Because being you, whether that is loud and outspoken or shy and understated, is the best thing that you could ever be, regardless of what the rest of the world has to say about it. I was not made to be subtle, and neither were you. And you know what? That is more than okay.