We all are made up of these tales of terrible things that have happened to us, and we begin to identify ourselves by them

We start to believe that intimacy comes from letting other people hear these stories. That if they know what has happened to us, they will somehow have a deeper connection with us. And I guess we all just want someone to feel close to us.

But following this logic, every person who knows our personal sob story, knows us. However, I don't want to be known by what has happened to me.

By perceiving me by what other people have done to me, you are seeing me as a mess of internal wounds that haven't healed. Why do people feel the need to mentally mark me down. I want to be seen by what I have the potential to do. See me as the person on stage singing a piece from a beloved masterwork. See me as the girl who finds no fault in buying coffee alone. The young woman who almost loves wearing cardigans too much. What's the point in identifying me by something that I had no control over, just to see that your perspectives of me are irrelevant

What were you thinking when you started to believe that what has occurred to me by fault of others could possibly mean that I am less than I was before. If anything, I'm more. I've grown, my mind has expanded upon what I once believed were its limits. And for that, I'm thankful.