Then...
- 15 years old (9th grade)
- Asbury Park, New Jersey
Now...
- 49 years old
- Tijeras, New Mexico
- Artist/Impressionistic Painter/Hair colorist
My Story...
I was always the girl to smooth things out … The one to make the group One. The Everyman. Then I got my braces and perm, with a darkening of my hair from summer blonde. I was the same person but looked different. Literally, my friends couldn’t look at me and disowned me. I was shoved aside by my cheerleader girlfriends. ( I have no rhythm … ) And one boy who i knew for years, that transferred to my school, made believe he didn’t know me. I found comfort in hiding with the janitor (during the dissection of frogs and pigs) and finding the older grade students nicer to me. When I returned for 10th grade, braces off, perm gone. They all wanted me in their circle again because I looked ok again. But… No Way… My parents understood my lack of faith and I transferred out to another school.
We all have the same soul and blood. Looks are masks. If you observe a person/mammal in the eyes and mouth. You can see the soul.
I loved this story. Thank you very much for sharing this. We all had our ‘awkward years’. Looking back on my own awkward years I see a totally different person than who I am today. When I look in the mirror I’m very pleased with who my awkward kid has become.