Member-only story
Why You Need to Stop Trying to Fit In
Your Uniqueness Is Your Power
Growing up, I stood out literally and figuratively amongst my peers. At 13 years of age, I was already 5'9" tall. Not a surprise that I was always the tallest in class. Regardless of my big appetite for food, I was skinny.
Approaching puberty, when girls my age started seeing changes in their bodies, my body was still like a child’s. No signs of breasts developing. No curves on my hips. Straight and flat-chested as one can be. Because of this, my self-esteem was below zero.
When other girls my age had boyfriends, I couldn’t even get one. Boys didn’t like girls who are taller than them. I really wanted to be like other girls. I would have done anything to look like them; including hunching my back to make myself look shorter and overeating hoping I would develop some curves. Nothing happened.
Luckily for me, I had something to fall back on. I was a good student. Teachers liked me. My grades were good. And this was my weapon.
To get some recognition, I would help the popular girls and boys with their homework or give them my work to copy. This won me “friends.” I gained some fake popularity to boost my ego.
But still, deep down I wished I was like the other girls. I wished I had some curves. I wished my…
