Dear Journal, 2
" 26 - 12
My name is Taylor; at least, that’s
what my friends and family call me. To everyone else, though, I have a variety
of names. I’ve been called stick-lady, pig-face, ugly, worthless, freak, and a
whole bunch of other things that I don’t care to repeat. Every day I walk
through school, names are hurled at me left and right; just because people
think I’m slightly different. My friends try to tell me that the things those
people say aren’t true, but it’s hard to believe the minority when the majority
pegs you as something else.
You
know, we’ve all heard the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
words will never hurt me”. But, I have a hard time agreeing with that. Harsh
words sting and fester like nothing else. Take it from somebody that knows.
We
hear all the time that the opinions of others don’t matter; that we are who we
choose to be. The thoughts behind those sayings are great and well-intentioned,
but they make me wonder if the people that came up with them have ever been
called names before; as in constantly. Unfortunately, our reality and society
are based upon the perceptions of others, and it’s very difficult to overcome
that.
Take,
for example, a rose. We associate the word “rose” with something beautiful and
fragrant; something that immediately makes us think of love and elegance in one
of its highest forms. Now, take the word “wart”, which we associate with
something gross and repulsive, and magically have everyone start calling roses
warts. What happens? Our outlook of the rose completely changes. While it still
maintains its true identity- that of a truly magnificent flower "it would
become a nasty, ugly wart in the eyes of everyone else because if the label it
was given.
I think that the same goes for
everyone, including me. If people label you as something- whether good or bad
"and you are constantly reminded of that acquired label, then, inevitably, you
will start to believe that you are what people say you are, and in so doing become that label. It’s sad and depressing,
but it’s the cold hard truth of life.
~Taylor