The picture must be perfect; my facial expression, my hair, everything. Either full smile or silly face, there can be no in between. No pictures can be taken with my face completely centered for people will notice my uneven eyes that I have no way of changing. I must tilt my head so that my thick, curly hair doesn’t look like an afro but as close to controlled as my friends with pin-straight, blonde hair. No make-up, glasses on. I don’t want to look too dark either. The boys in my white neighborhood won’t like me if my pictures make me look “too black”. The closer I look to the skin color of Beyoncé, the more “You’re so beautiful” comments I will get. X-pro II filter- Yikes can you even see me? Valencia- My dark features stand out and my skin looks light, perfect.

Now erase all the filters, delete all of the editing apps, and erase the must be picture perfect mentality. The same me still remains. But it’s the natural and real me. I’m half black and half Puerto Rican. A filter to make my skin tone lighter doesn’t change that. I have lots of curls that make into a long and ethnic mane. Everyone says my hair matches who I am on the inside, full of life and love. Sometimes I stick out my tongue in pictures too just for fun because life is fun. Smiling is natural and so is a face with no make-up. I choose to have confidence in both. I’ve always been on the skinny side especially with my constant athletic activity. I have always struggled to gain weight. But I am an athlete. All curves that I have now have been earned. Now I’m on the border of being “too muscular” for a girl. It doesn’t bother me. Physically, I am stronger than I have ever been before. More importantly, I am at my strongest mentally. Gabby Scott. Hispanic and black with darker skin. Crazy hair with an even crazier personality. A body of a warrior with the heart of a lover. No filter or app can ever diminish the person I am.