Pink Dress

This past weekend I attended and performed at the 32ND annual Latino Student Union Dinner. It was a great dinner, and the E-board did an extremely impressive job in putting it all together. The theme of the dinner was "Latinos taking back the night." It was a great theme, but I think some people took this theme to literally.
What I mean by this is the dress code at the dinner. To my surprise everyone at the dinner wore dark colors like black suits, black dresses, browns and grays. Then there was me in the brightest of brightest pinks you could imagine. I stood out like a sore thumb. Not only was my dress the brightest it was also very different from other tube dresses; one side had no sleeves and the other had a shawl like sleeve that draped over my left arm. I noticed everyone kept looking at me as I walked past them or commenting on my dress. I apparently I didn't receive the memo that the dress code was dark colors.
After the dinner, I felt as though I had not dressed appropriately for the dinner. I thought others would be brave and wear multiple bright colors because Latinos are known for the bold colors we use. Later I received comments from a couple of friends saying "you were the brightest one there," "I saw you from across the room" and " I have never seen a dress like that before." I was not offended by the looks or upset by the comments, rather I embraced them. I realized that my dress and its color as well set me apart from everyone else in the room. It gave me that individuality that I wanted and deep inside I expected the reactions I received.
When I was younger, I was the shyest and quietest little girl you could have known. It took me a while to make friends each time I went to a new school, and maybe even longer before I got the courage to talk comfortably around new groups of people. When my mom took me to places like the pediatricians office, I didn't play in the kiddie section with all the toys, I sat right next to my mom because I was scared to talk to the other kids. Other mothers would comment and say "wow shes so well behaved." First days of school were nightmares to me, because I would cry when my mom left me alone in a new classroom with a bunch of new people. As I got older and matured I began opening up more and being more friendlier. I think after my move to Florida I realized shyness isn't going to get me nowhere, and even if I think I look stupid talking to someone I do not know, I may make a new lifelong friend. Many people carry there shyness with them throughout their lives, but for me this is not an issue anymore and I feel I can be friendly and have a conversation with anyone now.
I watch as my little cousin Yazmine grows up and I see she is not shy. She is the bravest, most outgoing and happy little girl I know. She makes everyone smile when shes around and she loves to meet new kids her age. She can meet a new friend or two anywhere she goes. I love this about her and I wish I had her warm,inviting and outgoing personality she has when I was her age.
The pink dress helped me realize how much I've changed as a person. A couple years ago I would have never worn a dress as bold as that one. It makes me happy to know that I have overcome being shy and scared of others opinions. It may not seem like much but it is a great accomplishment for me. I was told "In a room full of 200 guests wearing black as if they were attending a funeral , you stood out the most and you looked great." Then I smiled.