Food for Thought: Frickin' Trolls!

I have been highly amused (I don't know if that is the right word, but it is what it is) by the whole fallout over Gabby Douglass' hair. I have been even more amused by the viral photos floating around of her responses (well, what the responses should be):

Ha Ha! Frickin' trolls!

Ha Ha! That is funny! Gabby, you'll make more money in one year than I will in a lifetime, babes!

I ain't mad at you for that!

Get it, girl! *throws glitter*

Black women... I tell you... leave it to us to troll... Frickin' trolls.

Listen, if Gabby Douglass was my child? Honey, I'd be proud. Proud of her accomplishments. Proud of her tenacity at such a young age. And proud of the fact that she has done something that would go down in history. No one could take that accomplishment from my child. I would be proud.

Check it out, sisters.  You didn't even know who Gabby Douglass was before this Olympics, did you?

But we know who she is now, don't we... And we know who you are. You are a troll. Frickin troll.

I have been watching the Olympics, and I must say that I am proud to see SO many black women out there competing who look like me. Just think... 50 years ago we were riding in the back of the bus. We weren't allowed to vote. We were segregated. If we used the wrong bathroom or drank from the wrong water fountain, there would be trouble. I wonder how many black women were killed because of those mistake.

Fast foward fifty years later. My oh my, how far we have come. I am PROUD.

That makes me proud. And lawd have mercy, I have seen every type of hairstyle there is:

Long weaves blowing in the wind...

Dredlocks... Braids...

Perms in fabulous colors.

I'm thinking WOW... each of us has a way of expressing ourselves through their hair. We are a dynamic bunch.

Then you have the trolls.  O_o

Things get over into something perverted, i.e., my hair looks better than yours so I am better than you. That has been going on for awhile. I'm embarrassed that the whole world sees our behavior and knows how we behave when one of our own does extraordinary things. Gee. Thanks a lot... frickin' trolls.

They get joy out of picking on a child's hair. Yes she is still a child. Shame on you... you frickin' troll. That's a kid. You'd be ready to beat a joker's behind if they said anything negative about your child.

I bet if we could shine a spotlight up into the dark secret corners of the troll's lives, we'll see some problems we could talk about... some isshas that would have us O_O.  LOL. (You know I'm right).

That's alright. Hide behind laughing at a child...who has made history.  Wow.

Go Gabby. Go girl. *throws more glitter*

I know what it's like to be different from the crowd too, honey. I don't meet many black women with a doctorate in science. Delight in your uniqueness, Gabby. Don't be a troll. Don't let a troll knock you from your path and purpose.

I left the following comment on Ebony Mom's blog about this whole mess.

Our self worth as black women is linked to our hair. And we have a tendency to judge the worth of another black woman by her hair… rather than her character. And that is sad.

And that is just my opinion… the opinion of a black woman whose hair was taken by a chronic illness.

Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury to judge another woman’s hair. Oops… maybe that is a fortunate thing.

I hope at the young age of 16 that Gabby has learned an important lesson. People will find a reason to degrade you… even people who look like you. Afterall, people must find a way to cover up their own inadequencies… hmm.

Just my opinion.

Gabby you better put your hair up the way you like it. I don't want you up on those bars and that hair comes down and you fall and break your neck. You know better what to do with your hair than we do. After all, we have never done what you have done. Humph. I don't want that hair getting in your way. Mess around and fall and break your neck trying to be cute with it, trying to satisfy a troll. We don't want that. *Handing Gabby her usual clips and rubberbands*

Congrats Gabby. You are now famous. You are known worldwide. I wish I had the fortitude that you have at your age. I did good to start college at age 16. You have made history at the age of 16. You have found your path and purpose for this time in your life. Some people don't figure that out in their entire lifetime. You figured it out and you went for it.

That's more than I can say for myself... and the trolls.

Here's a tip: Success exposes the attitudes of those around you. It gives you a great clue as to who matters and who doesn't. Those who celebrate you matter. Those who degrade you don't.  Learn to know and appreciate the difference.