Recently, I saw the TEDx Talk by Daralyse Lyons, in which she explains how she’s always said she’s biracial despite being told that she has to choose to identify as black or white.
(I have to say this whole concept is alien to me. Here in Israel I see skins of various hues, but never identify people as anything but Israeli. But I understand this practice of putting people into colour boxes is common in the USA, where Daralyse lives, and probably in other countries.)
You can find Daralyse’s talk here and I can tell you it’s worth a listen.
On the same day that I heard that talk, I saw an interesting post from Jennifer Gilmour. The post ends with:
Have you ever struggled with being “unapologetically you”?
I commented:
Have I ever not struggled with it?
Growing up, I was taught not to mention being Jewish where it wasn’t necessary. Because that was a big part of who I was, I found this difficult, especially as there were several other secrets I had to keep.
Here in Israel, I don’t have that problem. I also don’t have a problem with saying I’m Israeli at home, while abroad that can also be hard to say.
And then, of course, there’s social anxiety, which I’m keen to discuss in order to raise awareness, but that’s also hard. What’s lies behind all of those difficulties is a fear of being judged for who I am.
Following that introduction, I want to pass the question on to you. Have you ever struggled with being “unapologetically you”?
Miriam Drori, Author 
2 replies on “Do You Say Who You Are?”
Hi, Miriam. I found your blog through the WP Reader.
I am a lifelong sufferer from social anxiety or shyness. It has much diminished my joy and success in life, but I’ve mostly managed to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish without ever getting beyond the anxiety.
I have almost the ultimate reason for “struggling with being unapologetically you,” that is, I am a convicted felon. It was this question that prompted my response here. But I don’t want to go into the gory details in a mere comment–if you’re interested, check out my blog or send me an email.
Cheers!
Hi Alan. I checked and… well, I don’t want to get involved. I wish you lots of luck with your writing. Thanks for visiting my blog.