LIFE LESSONS| MENTAL HEALTH| SELF-HELP
Perks of Being a Wallflower
Something about how life changes us
These days, I find myself contemplating all the places where I grew up.
I bloomed at parties where eyes turned away from me, where loud music masked the mundane, and I heard whispers of similarity. I didn’t just grow up with my family and the gentle persuasion of the world, I grew up in a storm, I grew up with muses louder than words. These muses didn’t sing gentle songs of good spirits — instead, they were hindrances to my growth. When I needed light, I was given water. When I asked for the gentle caress of the wind, I was met with a storm to endure.
You see, I grew up within the walls of others, where my name was uttered in lives that weren’t my own. My story found prequels and sequels written by those who wanted to cast someone else in my role, and in their vision, my life was cast aside.
I grew up on the sidewalk where the light was just enough — a morning hello from a stranger meant half the world to me. The second-hand smoke from my co-workers made me feel at home. These were the perks of being a wallflower.
I found myself in all sorts of places: in dark valleys where the hint of smoke was tainted by the lingering darkness of the soul, in…
