What makes you different? What is it that sets you apart from the rest of the world? Your colleagues, your friends? your family? What is that makes you unique? Do you even take time out to notice it or do you go along by what people say about you? Well, this question came to mind this morning as i was getting my coffee from Starbucks and the lady at the counter said to me "You are different" for a minute i was thinking maybe she meant to say i was black? or maybe my accent? may be something else? do i come off as snobbish? Oh dear lord i thought about so many things in a second, then i looked up and said "how?" she smiles and says, "you smile in the morning". 

Well, yes i do! I try to smile all the time. Everyday! 

People say to me,  the first thing they think about when they are reminded of me is my smile. I don't have perfect teeth. i even have a gap. My top teeth is looking forward while the bottom is looking up. It aint all that white as man made things have managed to discolor it a bit. (we will not mention here) 

So what is it about you that people notice? What is the positive thing that people are always reminded of you with? Is it a smile, silliness? Is it a wink? or is it your positive attitude? 

What makes you different? What sets you apart from the rest of your friends? I just hope the one thing that sets you apart is something positive. 

-Just saying! 

One thing i have noticed in Ethiopia or anywhere else where the people of color (black) live is the connection they develop with one another while doing their hair. On my 1 year and 1/2 stay in Ethiopia i saw this connection, felt this connection and remembered a bit about my childhood as my aunites and neighbors used to do my hair we called Shuruba.

Sitting in on the bottom and the person who is doing the hair usually sits either on a chair or stands to be able to do your hair. They use a tiny comb to split the thick volume of hair and create a design that fits your face and in a way where all of your hair can be split in bits and pieces and it forms a line, a square or any other design or shape to get all of your hair. So what is it about this connection people remember? For me it was the chit chat, the laughter, the "ouch it hurts moments" and the feeling of a person tightening up your strands of hair together so it wouldn't look messy or unattractive. The neat look, the design, and the proud look of the stylist is usally what did it for me. "so pretty" "this looks so nice" "it looks good on you" usually the comments given and with a blushing smile, you know the design and the new hair do is what will set you apart from the rest of your friends. Your shuruba is your pride until it gets messy that is.