Violet Summer Zine Issue 7 - Dignity & Style

By: Melissa Henderson

Self -worth

It’s not only the end of the year but the beginning of a new decade. This year has been transformative. Storytime! I thought something was wrong with me, so I embarked on my own health journey - Doctor appointments, diets, probiotics, pills, and supplements I took this year. After a few hundred dollars spent on these activities, I stopped going & doing it because there was a disconnect from what, say therapy, was telling me to change/upgrade and what was happening. It wasn’t their fault though, because I neglected to do the work. I wasn’t being fake; I was withholding parts of me I thought you guys wouldn’t want to know about. For example, I’m too sweet, and this is somewhat a weakness I’m learning to balance. Have you ever been in a situation where they tried it? Can’t catch me slipping in 2020, sorry to this man. Someone was calling my phone all crazy and on the third time trying to reach me, I answer, and I wasn’t pleasant. The reason for the call could have been resolved appropriately via email. I’m old school. It’s rude to call someone after 8 pm if you don’t know them like that.

The point of the story is that my free time is my time to relax. If I’m Instagramming and not on email or texting, then I’m not on email and texting at that moment. Sorry, not sorry. Some people think they have this authority over what and how you should be responding, and it’s so ridiculous. It’s also not a valid case in an argument. We need more censorship with our personal space.

It took a lot not to be afraid to stick up for myself. At those moments, I learned to act fast when people least expect it and keep my guard up. Always have a plan in mind, but still, have plan b for yourself. Experiences on the street taught me to guard what I value. It’s the “how dare you attitude” when people try to tell them who they are. My readers are people who understand that these underwritten codes. Plus, we are all socially aware.

If you’ve been reading the zine, you know our tone through the fictionalized characters I’ve written about in the Sanity Addiction series. They are roses still blooming. They take a fall, they learn from it and move on. They are real stories that don’t have fairytale endings but aim to teach lessons to people who live in urban areas. I get inspired everytime I read SA. Which is why, through my career journey, I learned to listen and know when to speak up. I learned to take risks early on as soon as I was of age (that’s 18 years old!!) to make my own decisions. Looking back, I wish I took my time growing up, but coming from where I’m from, you grow up quickly. It wasn’t till later on that my dignity became my DNA.Violet Summer Zine aims to tell our stories for people to feel some type of way about each issue’s theme. This one will definitely have you going to Google. Make sure you click on the links for hidden visual content and other shopping discounts. It is never my intention to oversell, cheapen, or devalue the products and the people who are featured in this zine, as well as in any of the partnerships I’ve cultivated. I definitely have high standards. I believe that doing good by people is more of a value if it’s about leveraging my experiences with vulnerability to put myself in a better situation than yesterday.