The Colorful Vote

I remember when I was a young girl and folks would ask, what’s your favorite color? I always replied purple. Not because I thought it was the prettiest color, or the color that I gravitated toward most but in fact because it was different. I liked pink but so did every other girl and when you’re PK you crave that difference. Coupled with being a PK, I was youngest with three older brothers who seemed to know who they were. Looking back, I know it was the unrealistic expectation of being a Preacher’s Kid. Our paths were expected before we ever had a chance to say so. And with identity always on the top of my mind, purple became my favorite color. And I made myself fall in love with it.

I told myself; purple is feminine and also rebellious. Liking purple didn’t give me any negative attention but in my eight-year-old mind, liking purple put others on guard that I was not their status quo. Purple was my personal reiteration that I am not what you expect. I took it a step further when I learned it meant royalty. Not only could I be steadfast in my role as a PK, but I also had additional vocabulary to spice up my individuality. I was sold on purple. Purple bible, purple beads, purple clothing. And like anything I have talked myself into, I am committed to it.

And my commitment went farther than the eye could see. As I got older, I made it a part of me. Not relying on the meaning or likeness of purple but basing responses on tradition and repetition. It is a peculiar to ask a child what their favorite color is and expect the response to always stay the same. In one season, purple was a decision, and through time it became a convenience, and now I have grown up some, and I choose the brown dress over the purple one every chance I get. The brown compliments my complexion and always me to accessorize with perfection. It has earned its position as this season’s favorite hue. It’s a temporary thing, as should all decisions be. When we evolve into the great humans, we all are capable of being, we learn what worked when I was a child doesn’t work today as an adult. The decisions, hatred, and fear passed down to me is not my portion. And my evolution involves me making sound decisions. Decisions that unite. Decisions that are truthful. Decisions that hold us a people accountable for our actions.

Today is one of the heaviest decisions we’ll make and it’s time to stop voting blue or red. Vote for what is right. Vote for who is right. Vote because you have researched the candidates, and amendments, and made an educated decision. Vote because this life we live is beautiful and colorful, and we have to keep it that way.