I have been writing in a journal on an almost-daily basis since I was 17 years old. This is a record of me going through each entry from the beginning, and commenting on the me from fifteen years ago.

It’s not me, it’s them. It’s not shyness, it’s disinterest. It took me so long to find my niche, and probably because they weren’t in it. Now I have my hole to hide in, large as it is, and I am not about to give it up, no matter the cost. I live like I want to and I know the truth. Some are all talk and all the ones on the other side certainly are. If I learn by example, then I am damned to be condemned as they are. Please let me be as I am, not as I am seen to be in a parent’s future dream.

Congratulations. Finding yourself and learning your place are the ultimate goals of this age. Looks like you’re well on your way…just try not to make everyone else suffer so much.