Pearl Bailey || 1960

Childish Gambino || This Is America

| I remember thinking armpit hair was true staple of being a man. It was one of the first signs of puberty, and I was so excited to exit the children's table. I remember the day I first got peach fuzz going in there, I was on my way to the top. That is until I went to the park and saw a 12 year old girl with three times as much armpit hair. Then I realized I never wanted it to come in, I wanted little nude armpits forever. Thankfully genetics took it easy on me and didn't give me double arm bushes. |

| I've had side burns since I was 14 years old. I grew them out because I believed that they would make me seem more mature. No one would notice or say anything, though. Even today I've never had anyone mention my “masculine” sideburns or how they make me look like a real man. To be honest, I only have them still because I know that if I shave them I'll have horrible tan lines on the side of my face. |

| Two times a year my mom will tell me she is going to make an appointment for the dermatologist's office. This has gone on for the past ten years, and I have yet to see the skin doctor. A few moles here and there are common in my family. My mom herself has several, but she has had them for her entire life, too. I don’t know if any of my moles are deadly or just genetic, and I’m probably never going to make that appointment to check. But if skin cancer on my shoulders is the death of me, I’ll make sure my final words are “mama was right.” |

| I had an ex tell me once I had gross feet. Up until that point I had never really thought of my feet as anything other than the things I use to walk on. Once they were described as ugly, however, something had to be done. I went for a pedicure not too long afterwards. It was conveniently timed so that I could play it off as a fun group activity, but really I was trying to get help on perfecting the one thing about me that was not up-to-par. Two hours and fifty dollars later I realized there was nothing to be done about the way my feet looked. She still thought they were nasty, and to be honest I don’t blame her. They aren’t anything to admire. Honestly, they’re just the things I use to walk. |

| The worst roommates I ever had were absolute slobs. They never left their room unless it was to retrieve curly fries from the oven. Along with their strange social habits came horrible sanitary standards. I figured I could teach them a lesson by leaving the mess to pile until one of them did some cleaning for once. Unfortunately, it was me who couldn’t take it anymore and I began to furiously scrub away at our moldy bathroom. This mold would go on to give me a ringworm infection on my left arm. I guess sometimes teaching others a lesson isn’t the most efficient way of getting things done. |

| Chub-rub is a very common thing in people with large thighs. If your legs are more than just slightly large they will rub together as you walk. It could be fat, genetics or even muscle that causes this, but chub-rub will ensure that you learn to spread your legs as you move or to learn to live with an eternal front wedgie. |

| If it weren't for my friends, this would just be a collection of entries in my journal. But it's more than that. I'm being vulnerable and raw, and people are responding to that. I feel like opening my heart is helping people. That's so important to me. |

| My little cousin Ruby already talks about contouring and plastic surgery. She's only 7. And she has the most beautiful brown skin, the cutest face. Why are we telling kids they have to alter their faces or go under a knife to feel beautiful? I'm not going to set that type of example, I can promise you that. |

| Ugly Skin was my way of letting go of the past. I didn't realize how much baggage I carried with me. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I put that stress on my body. I'm really held accountable for how I take care of myself now. I have no regrets about it, to be honest. It's empowering. |

| This is a z. |

| I’ve picked the one on my lower back several times. The darkest one. |

| Bowlegged with rivers and mole hills. |

| Peach fuzz and acne. |

| Mama’s lips and Aba’s nose. I don’t talk to Aba as much as I should. |

| Hidden birthmark. |