Being Yourself.

I wrote this for a project, enjoy.

Most of us grew up and go through life being told, ¨You always need to be yourself!” and “ Never be someone or something that you aren't! ” But that statement is, in some cases, easier said than it is done. Sometimes some people feel like being yourself isn't always right or the best thing to do.

For some people, being yourself is hard. For some people, being yourself seems like it’s impossible. At times, It seems like the only thing that being yourself will cause is more problems, so you keep everything to yourself and keep pretending to be something you’re not. It’s almost like you are wearing a mask.

Sadly, there are  people that are never able to be who they truly are inside due to things like family or their religion. But some people can. Some people can break free from the “chains and bonds” that are restraining them. Some people are able to find the courage and find all the strength to be be who they actually are. Finally being able to be true to yourself is a great feeling.   

So for me, my story started when I was in the 6th grade. So I  think I was probably around 12 years old at the time all of this started. From that time on, I knew that I wasn’t “normal,” so to speak. I knew I was different from most people that I knew at the time.

At the time, this worried me. From things I had heard, if you were like me you were bad or nothing but trouble. Like, this really worried me. I didn’t know what to do and I sure didn’t know of anyone that I would tell. So for a long time, I just kept all of this stuff..bottled up.

Keeping everything bottled up and internalizing all of your feelings can really start to affect a person. This was one of the biggest causes of stress at this point in time. I was constantly trying to figure things out myself and my feelings. This stress was really starting to affect me.

It wasn’t so much me worrying about myself. I knew that I was gay and there is no changing that. I was more worried about how other people were gonna take it. I was worried about how it would affect my life. I was worried about how my family was gonna act due to the fact of being pretty religious. From everything I had  heard, there was something wrong with people like me.

Getting back to the stress and worrying. Like i said, it was starting to get to me. If was keeping me up at night so I wasn’t sleeping. It was more than affecting my mental health, but also my physical health. I was sick a lot. It even started affecting my school work.

So, there come a time in some people's life where they have been pushed too hard. Well, about half way through the eighth grade, I found this “point.” I just could not take it any more. I decided that I had to do something. I decided that it was time to come out. First I told my friends, then I told my family.   

I told my parents. My mom, she took it okay. But with my dad, it was a different story. He was not comfortable with it at all. He kept asking questions like, “Are you sure?” and saying things like, “Maybe you are just confused.” Eventually, he became more comfortable with it over time as he became exposed to it.

After I came out, it had been like the weights on my shoulders had just disappeared. It felt like the chains that were restraining me had finally been broken. I was a lot happier. I got healthier. I had finally been able to be my true self. So this is what I am trying to say.

Do not be afraid to show your true self. Don’t let one thing ruin your life. Always be yourself. Pretending to be something you aren’t isn’t gonna help anything, it will just drag you to the ground. Do not let it beat you. You will be a lot happier if you are just able to be yourself. If everyone could be themselves, the world could possibly be a better place.