Broaden Your Horizons

It's 2009. The whole "It's (insert year here)" cliche has been beat to death, but that doesn't make it untrue. Just keep those words in mind, though..."It's 2009." I was speaking to a few people about interracial relationships a while back, some of their views really ain't politically correct, but they're not unheard of. "My momma said if I ever bring home a white girl she'd slap me." "I don't like asians. They're weird." "Date a white guy? Pffft..." My race/ethnicity/whatever term applies doesn't and shouldn't really matter, but for the purposes of this message, I will say that I'm a black male. I grew up in the 'hood, by way of Gary, IN, so I'm 100% sure you already know what my taste in females was when I was younger. I had to have me a hood chick, or a "ride or die," as that's what they call 'em these days. Anybody with a similar background, male or female, can relate. Ever wonder why, though? It's no secret. It's your parents and environment that influences your way of thinking. Everything I said or did relationship wise was tainted by these characteristics that are common for people from 'hoods across the nation. If you're black, this probably sounds familiar: - General mistrust of people of different races (mainly white people) - Disdain for and humiliation of those who date people of other races (depending on where you're from, latinas/latinos didn't really count) - Was accepted as long as the person of the other race had that loot Sounds about right? I was pretty much the same way, until I moved away. The years that went by helped too. I felt like life was too short to be trying to fit the status quo. Just because I'm black and I wanna date a girl that ain't black doesn't make me a "sell out." The thing is, some of you out there are basically putting yourselves into boxes because of that very reason. You're scared of what somebody will say. The thought of your friends/family laughing at you or not approving makes you uneasy. What should you do? Shoot them the bird and march to the beat of your own damn drum...only YOU can live your life, so do it. Like I said, it's 2009. You don't have a reason to be scared...it's more accepted now than it was fiddy (no typo) years ago. Live a little. Broaden your horizons, and date an Indian, Chinese, or white dude/girl. What do you have to lose? Beware, though...when you have different cultures clashing, you can have good and bad results. All of that'll be covered next time I bless ya'll with some knowledge. Now gon out there and pull one of them kinky ass Korean girls you been lookin at on campus. -The King-