Paint ‘Em Blue For Autism!!

As some of you know I recently painted my nails blue to raise money and awareness for autism. This was done at an event here at the dojo just Saturday morning. While most of the men removed their paint immediately after their picture I wore mine, not just for the day, for the whole weekend. I thought as long as I had it on already why not get a little more awareness outside of the dojo going. Plus I knew my mother would get a kick out of it for mother’s day…and she did!

What I ran into were weird looks and compliments from both strangers and family and friends. Every single person that saw them I spoke to about autism and why they were blue. I was pleased with the people that were supportive and encouraging but very dismayed with people that were negative about it. One guy went so far as to question my sexuality because of the paint. One woman had a hard time looking at me and really couldn’t understand why I left the paint on after the event was over. As if to believe that autism must have gone away the second the event ended.

To that end I have decided to where blue nail polish on my fingers until the end of the month!

It was not the positive people that encouraged me to do so, it was the negative ones. I was brought up to believe that “if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything”. I will not stand for people dictating what I can and cannot do in the name of charity just because they are too insecure in themselves to fight for what they believe in. Myself and this dojo stand for integrity and I will not submit. I know who I am and I am defined by my actions and not the way I look which is why I am challenging all of the students, especially the male ones, to continue to wear blue paint on their finger nails, no different than “movember”, for the duration of May.

The way of the warrior is in all of us!

Ous!