So, can I talk about my nails, real quick?? I have these long nails – see picture below – and I am in love. I’ve settled into the fact that I’ll probably have them forever or at least until I’m old and senile. Y’all, I love them real bad.
Larger than that, though, I used to turn my nose up to women who had these nails. I associated them with being ghetto or ugly and those kind of women could never love the Lord with all their heart, soul and might.
I was totally oblivious to my pride and insecurity. Which, in retrospect, are two sides of the same coin. Insecurity can manifest as arrogance or low self-esteem.
And baby, I had become what I thought I hated. Now I’m getting the strange looks and turned up faces from others that I would give before I had my precious fingertips dolled up. I found myself on the receiving end of all the hypocrisy I gave out. Simply put, I am reaping what I’ve sown.
The fact is, these women behind shifting eyes have no idea of my character or personality or walk with Christ and, more than that, they probably don’t care. This whole realization makes me so sad and frustrated at myself for judging a person based on my preference.
It’s like a light turned on inside a brightly light bathroom mirror and here I am, staring at myself and my judgmental ways.
In my culture, way before Sha’Carri Richardson made it palatable and glamorous, long nails just get a bad reap. Aside from her, the only black women in mainstream who have long nails are rappers or basketball wives (of whatever city they’re filming in now) and both of those are not accurate examples of who I am.
Therefore, long nails had negative connotations and, subsequently, the black women who had them had negative personalities. There was no room for nuance.
All this to say, people are much more than what they present on the outside. Now, there may be some women with long nails who are in fact rude, unforgiving, hateful, non-integral and not exhibiting any fruit of the spirit. But this should not be an immediate assumption.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Honest Virgin to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.