Julia Rizzo
CurlyTeen Scene is a column especially for curly teens. Julia Rizzo is a teenager living in Central New York. When not writing, she enjoys acting, reading and snow skiing. She has loved writing as long as she can remember, and plans to pursue a career in English. She hopes her column will provide encouragement and inspire girls to love their curly hair.
While a lot of us curly girls feel self-conscious about our hair, some of us have recognized what fun being curly can be. This month, Chelsea sent me an awesome and encouraging e-mail. She tells us that our curls are empowering, and not something you should have to defend. Chelsea says: ‘I definitely get your point about sort of being defined by your hair, but I think it gives us an edge. To me, curly hair shows the world you play by your own rules and don’t need a straightening iron to feel great about yourself. I think it tells people there is definitely something special about you…’
Chelsea is right on. How spontaneous can you be when you need to lug a straightening iron around to feel confident? Curly girls show that they can feel great about themselves without an arsenal of things that heat and pull and straighten. (Who wants to do all that to their hair anyway?”> As Chelsea says, curly hair ‘tells people there is definitely something special about you.’ When it comes down to it, when you have confidence in yourself, from your hair to your height to your sense of humor, it shows.
Sometimes people recognize the ‘edge’ I feel as a curly girl. Compliments are awesome to hear, and reinforce the benefits of expressing my individuality. Now that school’s out, and we have a little free time, there is no better time to express ourselves. Learning a language, renewing a friendship, finding an outlet for our creativity or reaching out to someone in need are all ways we can say ‘This is who I am and this is what I stand for.’ As girls, our declarations of self don’t need to be limited to how we wear our hair or our clothes. We can show who we are through all our actions and endeavors. This summer, as we head to summer camps or summer jobs, to the nearest lake, pool or sprinkler, remember that every part of our lives can be an outlet for our intellect, creativity, talent and originality. Thanks for your e-mails, and I’d love to hear your questions, comments and curly stories.
Stay Curly,
Julia
Email your questions/comments to Julia.
