An awakening in.......Walmart.

Even the day of my shahada (the day I became a practicing Muslim), I was convinced that I would never wear a headscarf. I was going to be one of those progressive Muslim women who didn't need to wear hijab. I honestly felt sorry for the covered women I'd see out and about. Sorry for them because of the stares or comments they'd get because they were covered. I swore I would never have to go through that.
But, alhamdulillah (thank God), I obviously learned more about my new religion and began to see the hijab issue in whole a different light.

So, ever since I made the decision to wear hijab,  I always heard that it was all about forcing people to see me for what's inside, not the outside. I understood that, obviously, but I actually never really experienced it until the other day!!

Here it is, probably 6 years since I've been covering, and over 6 months since I started covering 100%, that a little light bulb went off in my head.
I was in Walmart (I'm trying to quit, but it's really hard, ok?), and as I was going around the corner of an aisle, there was a woman in front of me who was wearing realllllly tight jeans and a tank top with (really pretty) heels. She looked ok, but at the same time, probably could have made one of those 'People of Walmart' photo lists.

Anyway, as we both were turning to go down the next aisle, two men were walking the opposite way, and of course she caught their eyes. They creepily gawked at her, I mean, I'm surprised they didn't run into the $1 bags of Great Value chips in the aisle way.
I felt so sorry for her, because there was honestly nothing she could do to keep them from looking at her like that.
Maybe she wasn't even bothered by it, and maybe she was even flattered at the fact that they were practically drooling over her. But, the point is, if she didn't like it, it didn't matter because it was ALL out there to be seen and there was really not a thing she could have done to stop it.

And I want to be clear on the fact that I'm NOT dissing this lady at all. I feel like I can openly talk about these kind of things because as a revert to Islam, I understand what it's like to be on the other side of things.
When you dress a certain way to get attention, you get just that-attention. And it might be good, it might be bad. But, you can't pick, so you have to take it all.

So, at that moment, I felt SO liberated, and for the first time in my hijab/niqab wearing 'career', in control of letting who I want to see ME and who I don't.
And I'm not saying that they were sorry that they couldn't check ME out, I'm saying that I was the one who was deciding if they could or not. It really was a freeing and defining moment that I know I won't ever forget.

It really helps to remember times like this, when I get stares or dirty looks or someone talking to me reaaaalllly slooooowwlllly{in English} just in case I don't understand them. Dealing with allllll of those things makes it SO worth it when something like this happens, and I remember the real reason and wisdom behind wearing hijab.

FYI's:
*hijab=headscarf that is non-transparent and covers the hair/head/neck/bosom.
*niqab=face covering that leaves only the eyes visible.
*shahada=a declaration of faith. Simply stating that you believe God is one, you believe in all of His prophets, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was his last and final messenger.
:)

Here is today's work-out motivation:

Modcloth

Let me start out by saying that I haven't seen this reality show on TLC yet.

I finally took the plunge and got rid of cable a few weeks ago, although we still have local channels and PBS (yay!) only. So, I really have no idea what the show depicts, but I'm guessing that it shows normal Muslims just living their life like everyone else in this world. I don't know how practicing the families that are starring in it are, or what sect of Islam they are a part of, but I really can't believe that they are hidden terror cells trying to violently take over America.
Come on, seriously?

This whole show is about the discrimination that so many Muslims in America face each and every single day. Pretty much exactly the same kind of discrimination that Lowe's showed.


I can only imagine what the outrage would be if CAIR, or another Islamic based group was trying to get Lowe's to pull their advertising for the shows 'Sister Wives' or '19 Kids and Counting'. Which are about Christian families. Can you imaaaaaagine the anger??

What is this FFA group so scared of? I honestly don't think it's terrorism. I think it's the fact that people might actually get off their butts and learn something about real about Islam. No, I don't mean from the show (that's another blog post, LOL), but maybe by watching the show, it would prompt them to actually open a book or ask a real life Muslim a question that they have, rather than continuing on with their misconceptions or getting their Islamic info from crazy email forwards.

 Jon Stewart said it best I think, when he said about the show: “the most boring reality show alive” featuring “Muslims living their lives like the rest of us ******* idiots.”

Finishing What I Started.

So, I am sitting here watching the season finale of The Biggest Loser, and I can't help but think about where I was when the last season finale was on.

It was just a few months ago, in May 2011, and I had just started my new journey with weight loss and becoming healthy. I was about 2 weeks into it, and was struggling on the treadmill when I happened to turn the TV on to the finale. It was really the first time I had ever watched an entire episode of The Biggest Loser, and figured it would be good motivation, especially while working out. Now thinking back, I probably never watched it because I knew it would be a painful reminder that I, too needed to shape up. Something I never really wanted to do something about, let alone think about.

So, I remember the winner of the finale saying that more than the money she won, more than earning the title of The Biggest Loser, it was the mere fact that she finished something that she had started, that made her the happiest. I related to that sooo well, and those words have never left my mind. I remember them everyday.

I vowed that day, to keep on pushing on--no matter what. And to finish what I  was starting. And, today I can't say that I am finished with my journey just yet, but I am still well on my way, and have not given up one bit. Instead of looking at how much more I have to go (30 more lbs!), I am only going to look at how far I've come (-59 lbs!).

Hoping to be my own Biggest Loser soon!!

Nicole's Blog, Take 1,285,639

Ok, here I am with a new and (hopefully) improved blog!

After trying this a million different other ways, here is a blog that combines everything I am into and everything I am about.

So, with that said, please stay, read, comment and enjoy!