"Purple Wig Theory"

The “Purple Wig Theory” in the Shine Through program is all about appreciating and respecting yourself, no matter what. The entire program is created in order to teach ways to be yourself and not change who you are. But, of course, there are exceptions to the rule…

When you learn to Shine Through, you learn to focus on becoming the person you wish to become. This means trying your best to be your best, no matter what others think. The goal is to improve upon yourself in the best possible ways, and not to worry about how others perceive you.

Say you’re a superhero who needs a secret identity. (Let’s make this fun…) You have always wanted to become a math teacher. Your super-friends don’t exactly agree with this idea. (They all are becoming journalists at local newspapers…) But, because they are your true super-friends, you realize they are still alright with your decision!

So, you choose a math teacher as your secret identity. But, of course, you need to go to college first. You have already learned how to Shine Through, so now what? Let’s say that, along with the ability to fly, talk to animals, and shoot heat beams from your eyeballs, you have the power of super-procrastination! (Ta-da!) In order to get to college, you have to learn to refrain from procrastination.

But, wait! The Shine Through program teaches to never change who you are! That may be true, but by improving upon your school skills, you are changing yourself for the better. You aren’t doing it because someone told you to, but because you wanted to. See the difference?

Now, Ms. Superhero, you have mastered the ability to accept the fact that you are different from your super-friends, to learn to like yourself the way you are, and to improve upon yourself to become the person you wish to be! See how easy that is?

I have my own example of improving upon yourself for the better. Last month, I was in my high school production of “West Side Story” as Maria. So, to play the part, I decided to dye my hair a lot darker. This seems pretty shocking from the creator of the Purple Wig Theory, huh?

Well, I decided that, by dying my hair, it helped me to become the character and improve upon my acting skills. Because drama is so important to me, it was worth it! I didn’t change who I was inside, but I improved upon myself as an actor. Still see the difference?

So, the next time you have an opportunity, improve upon yourself! It could be as simple as straightening up your sock drawer, studying an extra hour for your next Spanish test, or choosing to eat more fruit every day. Try it! And never lose sight of that person you wish to become.

"I Feel Pretty"

Every girl at one point in their lives has sung the famous show tune whilst getting ready for some big event, in the shower, or at a sleepover at one a.m. I know I have, and really regretted doing so because, for the rest of the day, the song played through my head over and over and over and over…

When you think “I feel pretty”, you often don’t think “West Side Story”, the musical from which the annoying-but-loved little tune comes from. Since January, I have been rehearsing the show, (and have created a love/hate relationship with “I feel pretty”), because I was cast as Maria in my school’s production of the musical. “West Side Story”, aside from its more upbeat and cheery songs, like “Officer Krupke” and “America”, expresses such important, fascinating life lessons. Though we may have seen the Natalie Wood film version at least a zillion times, we probably have taken for granted all the obvious teachings.

During the first couple weeks of rehearsal, I was having trouble understanding my character, and found it extremely difficult to portray that character on the stage. Then, a little light bulb clicked on in my head. I figured out that, in order to understand someone, I had to listen to what they were saying. It wasn’t enough that I knew all my lines. I needed to understand them.

The most shockingly true line that I say in the show is: “But it’s not us; it’s everything around us.” At first, I took the line for granted. It occurs at one of the most emotionally intense moments of the story, when my character is losing all hope that she and Tony, the “Romeo” character, could ever be together in the world that they live in. It seemed pretty straightforward. Maria knew that she and Tony weren’t wrong in wanting to be together; it was everyone else that was wrong in trying to keep them apart.

But, when I really listened to what I was saying, I realized that my line meant so much more. I found out that what Maria really says is that, if you believe in anything at all that is good in the world, and have enough faith to pursue it, you create hope in the midst of those who create hatred. That is one powerful statement that I would have so easily let slip by me.

“West Side Story” is most obviously a modern version of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. It is more often thought of as a spin-off of Shakespeare’s poetry, instead of poetry itself. Every word sung in the performance has so much purpose, and is not always recognized. Perhaps the most purposeful poetry in the whole of “West Side Story” occurs in the famous song “Somewhere”.

Everything said within the song gives the hope that the world will someday change if we have enough courage to make peace with one another. For example, the line “hold my hand and we’re halfway there” may be the most compelling. It tells the world how to live in the way we have always dreamed. All we have to do is join hands, make peace, and accept that we are not all the same, and we will have already made it halfway to a peaceful existence, side by side.

You see how just listening can make all the difference?

So, the next time you’re watching “West Side Story”, take a moment to think about what the characters are trying to tell you. Or maybe, the next time your mother is rambling on about something you would usually tune out; take a moment to think about what she is trying to teach you. Or perhaps, take a moment to listen to those you would usually ignore. Maybe they, too, have something important to say. Who knows? Maybe, if we all take just one more moment to listen and understand one another, we can find that place for us that we’ve always dreamed of.
“We’ll find a new way of living.

We’ll find a way of forgiving,

Somewhere.

There’s a time for us.

Someday a time for us.

Time together with time to spare.

Time to love, time to care.

Someday.

Somewhere.

We’ll find a new way of living.

We’ll find a way of forgiving.

Somewhere.

There’s a place for us.

Somewhere a place for us.

Hold my hand and we’re halfway there.

Hold my hand and I’ll take you there.

Somehow.

Someday.

Somewhere.”