Perhaps Too Much Make Up :: Personal Narrative Writing

Perhaps Too Much Make Up The other day I went out with a couple of friends, both students and staff members of the Middlebury community, to eat dinner at the Panda House, a small Chinese restaurant in the town of Middlebury. As we were all sitting at the Chinese restaurant, waiting for the waitress to come and take our orders, we suddenly noticed that I was the only guy at the table. Lately, this has been the topic of many of my conversations. Furthermore, this has been the story of my life, for everywhere I go, every step I take, there have always been girls along the way. A couple of Pepsi’s later, the waitress approached us, ready to take our orders, and the seven year old sitting next to me jumped up from her seat and said to the waitress, â€Å"you know, he looks like a girl, but he is a boy.† At the sound of this, I must say that I grew a bit nervous since her voice carried out into the room making everyone turn towards her and turn back to their business. We simply laughed and after a fe w seconds continued ordering our food. This incident reminded me of another one where coincidentally, the same people who were at the restaurant were also present. That time, the same seven year old took one good look at me and asked, â€Å"why do you look like a girl?† Astounded at her question, I simply laughed and went about my business. I wish I would have had an answer for the little seven year old, who was asking questions I have never been asked before. Just recently I read an article on androgyny entitled â€Å"Here be Dragons,† by James Baldwin, and it helped me sort out some of my personal issues pertaining to the questions and comments that were generated by the seven year old. As a â€Å"gay man† of color who â€Å"embodies femininity,† whatever that may be, I have been faced with questions and comments like that of the seven year old. Living in Middlebury in the state of Vermont, I have realized that embodying femininity has become the biggest issue in my life. As I walk around swinging my hips to the beat of my mp3 player, I see how different people perceive me to be. My scandalous voice and walk tantalizes the walkways on my way to class.