16 Not 12

I'm 16, not 12, not 11, not 10. No matter how tall I may be, I'm always mistaken for a 12 year-old because of my baby face - puffy cheeks and protruding lips. Recently I began coaching rhythmic gymnastics at a gym where I used to train. On the first day of coaching, I was told to zip up my jacket, roll up my sleeves, and not fiddle with my hands because parents would see that I was a "young coach", and perhaps not to be trusted with their children. All this while, another coach only one year older was working next to me with her jacket open and sleeves rolled down. This isn't the only time my baby face has put me at a disadvantage. Although sometimes it can come in handy when getting a child discount that I stopped qualifying for years ago, I find myself in situations where I'm unable to have conversations with adults who still think I'm in the early stages of adolescence.

Although I am sometimes inconvenienced by my outer appearance, it's safe to say the way I alter public space is far from what Staples had to experience. From creating distance from himself to others and disarming people by whistling classic tunes, Staples experiences prejudice I can only begin to imagine. Prejudice and stereotypes that Staples experienced will never be eliminated; however, increased exposure in media may reveal to many the irony and lack of equality of Staples' situation. Of course it's difficult to ignore our inner judgement and disqualify our assumptions, but hopefully pieces like Staples' "Just Walk On By" will begin to open people's eyes to the wrong they aren't even aware they're committing.