When a child is very young they enjoy things without limitations. They choose certain toys to play with because the toys are fun. Youngsters enjoy the company of other children because they like them. Certain colors become favorites because they bring pleasure. As children grow older, outside influences begin to limit their choices. Suddenly they are informed that certain toys are just for boys or just for girls to play with. And in time things such as colors become a part of society’s stereotypical limitations. In “Colors Belong to Everyone”, Timmy and his mother go to the store to buy a book bag for school. The book bag Timmy wishes to buy is pink. The salesperson in the store informs Timmy that pink is a girl’s color. He encourages Timmy to purchase a book bag that is a boy’s color such as brown or green. Timmy does not understand because a girl in his school carries a brown book bag and. The salesperson said brown was a boy’s color and pink is a girl’s color. Timmy becomes very upset. With tears in his eyes his smiling mother places her hand on his shoulder. She tells Timmy that pink is a very nice color and that she thinks he will enjoy owning a pink book bag. The salesperson makes one last attempt to change their minds. Timmy’s mother replies by saying, “Colors are not assigned to people. Colors belong to everyone”. Eventually, boys and girls in Timmy’s school begin choosing pink for all sorts of things. What a better place the world would be without stereotypical limitations.
