Ok, this is one of those “fine line” or “gray” areas that always get people into trouble!
Definitions: (copyright 2009 http://www.merriam-webster.com/ )
Jealous: ” intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness ; disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness ; hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage”
Envy: “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage ; an object of envious notice or feeling”
Sometimes it is extremely difficult to tell which is which, but it is also an easy task to spot regardless of which it is! I grew up in a small, country town that was a bit old fashioned (and prejudice). Growing up, I saw a lot of this because of my heritage (white, native american, german, italian, irish, and czech). I was not fully accepted by white kids (mainly because I didn’t have money so they lived in the upper middle class area). I (and my siblings) was always picked on by black kids because of my heritage, but one of the traits is the point of this blog – “having better hair” (this is not my statement but a conclusion from the things that were said to me back then).
As an adult now, I am still not fully accepted by the “whites” and still get ostracized by “blacks” for this same reason. What do I mean by this?
First, my mother has baby thin, extremely fine hair that absolutely will not hold a curl … even with a perm! lol So I have that, just thicker, with native american and italian hair. It’s wavy and straight, but when I flat-iron it I only need to do it once and it is straight until I wash it! I do not have to flat iron my hair daily or when it rains (unless I am standing in the pouring down rain as if in the shower, which I do not do), and this comes as a shock to them (whoever questions me, !
Well, I do not understand it! I do not know why! But, more often that I should be, I am always either hearing comments or being approached about my hair! What do they ask when they approach me??
“Is that your real hair?”
OR
“Can I touch your hair?”
(This one is usually asked by those who do not believe my hair is really MY hair but do not have the guts to say that to me and want to touch it to find out for themselves!)
In all of my years, I have never been asked either of these questions by a white person! Not ever!!!!! To me, these questions are insulting and racist! My mom says it’s jealousy …
Is it jealousy, envy, or neither??? What do you think???
