Years ago, I was at the gym.
I was gettin’ my BURN ON. A man patiently waited for me to finish my set. I stood up, grabbed my towel and I heard him ask a question I’ve heard thousands of times in my life “What are you?” It reminded me of being the only asian on the playground, it reminded me of the birth father I’d not known. Angered, I turned on my heel and stomped back to my apartment.
Not even an hour later I was getting my mail, AND…. DO YOU EVER NOTICE HOW LIFE TEACHES YOU THE SAME LESSON UNTIL YOU GET IT?….Just as I turned the key, I heard a voice behind me, “Are you Filipino? What are you?” It was the mailman. I’m not gonna lie. My first reaction was an overwhelming feeling to curse at him, but instead I smiled and shook his hand and said, “Hi, I’m Christina, my mom is white and my dad’s Chinese.” He looked at me, “you’re a good mix.” I almost burst out laughing, but instead, I looked him in the eye with GRACE and kindness…., I smiled… “Thank you.”
He went on…“You’re a very pretty girl. My daughter is half filipino and you remind me of her. She lives in Chicago with her mother.” There it was: A vulnerable moment shared between two strangers. A connection. I had found the golden thread.
So what defines you? How do YOU define you? It’s a question I didn’t know HOW to answer for many years and sometimes I STILL don’t because how I FELT about myself yesterday may not be the same as how I FEEL about me today. But I know one thing to be absolutely true; all of the attributes, strengths, features, habits, dreams, friendships, loves, failures and successes that are in me and they are a part of my story. They all mash up into a perfect blend of uniquely woven fabric that makes me who I am. I am a good mix of it all and so are you.
That’s an idea worth spreading and I am proud to announce that I have been selected to speak at the upcoming TEDx event that will be held in the greater Las Vegas area May 29th.
The event is presented by TEDxFremontEastWomen. About 70 tickets will be sold in 2 separate waves on April 8th and May 11th. Ticket information and location details will be available soon on their site. Sign up now to request email notification when tix go on sale.
