My life started in some snowy town near Buffalo, New York with my brother five year old brother and parents who would be getting divorced in two years or so. Then I moved to another small town in New England where my mother parted with my father and met another man. My brother had a difficult time as I just went with the flow, thinking divorce was a normal thing. Two half sisters later and two new homes later I ended up here. My dad met someone else, had my two half brothers and later got divorced for the second time.

Since preschool I went to this town and stayed silent until sixth grade when I finally began to make actual friends. I had people to talk to in class and a friend or two to hang out with once or twice a month. However, besides my friend a few towns over I rarely was noticed and eventually even our friendship faded. I was chubby, shy, awkward, and clingy to anyone that looked my way. I remember crying to my mom and step-dad about not being accepted but I never wanted to try and make new friends because it never worked out. I danced from Kindergarten to present day and it was the only sport I ever did until I joined spring track this year (my sophomore year) of high school. 

In sixth grade I met a group of girls and for the next three years tried really hard to get them to include me. In eighth grade we fought for the main seats at our cafeteria table and talked behind each others’ backs. Some lied and others just sat back and kept shut. That is when I had to decide who my true friends were. I met my friend Melanie that year, and to be honest thought she was awkward and not my type of person. But once I accepted her (yeah i was a big bitch for a year or two) i realized she was definitely the best friend I would ever have. She is a big chunk of my life story and always will be.

When we would walk home from Best Buddies dances we would have talks about stupid things like our parents not getting along and cry, linking arms down a dimly lit street. Or dress up as “scene” kids, the opposite of ourselves, and walk around our town with a pint of ice cream and two spoons. We make forts sometimes, and collages. Do the cat daddy and just hang around the park. I have other friends too but not one as amazing as her. This is very current but my story still continues.

I have gone from shy to loud and awkward too well… still pretty awkward. But my opinions have transformed and every week I learn more. I am learning to be grateful for more things and help my parents out because even though they get on my nerves they need all the help they can get. I used to think guys and girls just went to the movies and suddenly they are dating. But now I know relationships are not as fun as they sound, sometimes getting ice cream with a guy and getting lost in a nearby state is more exciting. Magazines are cool to look at but books are so much better because you make the pictures with your own imagination. Photography is not just using your camera phone to take a picture of your eye, it takes knowledge of lighting, angles, depth, color, and a creative eye. Writing could be a cheesy 20 line poem you right about some guy that just rambles on or simply writing about things that mean a heck of a lot to you in sort of a form of a story. Dancing is by no means just steps. It is being moved by music, and showing other people music through your body movements and body language. 

My story is random, as is my life. Things come at bad times and sometimes great things happen out of the blue. My story is written by me and guided by family, friends, dance, literature, photography and personal life experiences.

I hope my story ends happily. I want to end my life with a smile on my face surrounded by things and people I love. Having a successful life would be great, but having a happy life is rare and would mean even more to me.

I’m glad you found Melanie, she seems like a great friend. You’ll live a happy life, you’ll live whatever life you want because you can do anything. And I think you’re starting to realize that. You’ve got quite the interesting view on the world, I like it. I think you said it well, about life. Life is a story, you are the pen, and your friends, family, and many other things, are the hand writing it. Your story is going to transform into a brilliant one. I know that because it already is. Thank you for sharing!

My story is probably going to be all jumbled and mixed up, but I figured I’d submit mine. :’)

I was born in August 1994, and feel a lot has happened in my sixteen years of living - some of which I’ve accepted wholeheartedly, others that I’m still bitter about. For example, I’m still really bitter that when I was in nursery I was never given the chance to be the bride in the play-weddings that they would have. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. It’s okay though, I smashed the brides plant pot one time. ;) 

Though, as much as I was a happy and healthy child, I was bullied. What child isn’t anymore, right? The bullying did get quite bad though. My bullying was always more verbal than it was physical, unlike my brother who was physically targeted and beaten. There was times my bullies would kick me in my “fat” stomach, but I let it go over my head up until my brother had to move school and I was left to fend for myself. I turned almost in to a recluse, pushed my friends away so they wouldn’t get targeted as well. Most of the bullying my brother had suffered was transferred on to me, and when I was only 9 years old, one of my bullies had came in to school, sneaked up behind me covered my mouth to stop me from breathing and had a knife at my back. I remember running home crying, refusing to ever go back to the school. We told the headteacher, who refused to believe me, and I didn’t press charges because there was no witnesses. My mum transferred me to a different school immediately, but the damage was done. I was terrified of people. I struggled to strike up conversations with people, I would refuse to go to school or make up different illness’s so I wouldn’t have to go. My headteacher even threatened to get my mum sent to jail or me sent to a childrens home if I didn’t start attending. Thing is, I did my work - or at least, I tried really hard to do it. Most of it confused me, I never learned my times tables, long division was complicated as well, and I was always too scared to ask because that meant people having to notice me. I preferred to struggle in silence than have people think I’m stupid at the things people could grasp really easily.

My absences did cause trouble with classmates too, though. After my Great Gran died, I took a week off and when I went back, everyone was gossiping accusing me of lying about her death “just to stay off school.” It hurt me and it was one of the few times in my life I stood up for myself. I had a few people I would talk too in class, but never anyone I was friendly enough to exchange birthday presents or go to their birthday parties or sleepovers. My social life at that point was the internet, where I could be confident and not have any one hurt me through the screen. I started to use Habbo and met some lovely people on there that I still talk too. 

Everything went from bad to worse when it came to going up to High School. Everything was bigger, and worst of all, the bullies that I had before were there. I would pass them in the corridors and I’d struggle to breathe. All the verbal abuse came flooding back to me, the echo’s of “fat” shouting through my head, so I would skip meals in an attempt to lose weight. And it worked. 

Every day before school I would take panic attacks and my mum would have to physically drag me to school to make sure I’d attend. Come lunch time, I’d be sitting in the office crying, waiting on my granddad to take me home. Eventually, I stopped going. The school tried everything to get me back in, offering me the chance to do schooling part time but it wasn’t what I wanted. So, we were dragged to a Childrens Hearing and I was crying as they were talking about sending me to a home and I need schooling. I demanded to be home schooled, and they said they couldn’t do that, which is where the internet came in to play and I quoted off a government website: “Education is compulsory, but being being in a school isn’t.”

They were stumped at a response and decided that maybe homeschooling was the best option after all. So, after 5 months of my high school career - I no longer had to attend a school building. Let me tell you, UK’ers, when it comes to homeschooling: It isn’t all that great. We couldn’t afford a tutor, we couldn’t afford textbooks or anything. We were given £20 off the social work to buy me textbooks for that year, and that would have only afford one book. My mum tried really hard, printing things off the internet but she didn’t know what kind of things I should be learning. We eventually gave in, she stopped giving me work and my life revolved around Habbo, MySpace, sleeping and eating. I withdrew from everything, I had no friends or any social life whatsoever. I started going on Habbo fansites and like I said, met some really fantastic people on them. But it couldn’t stay that way forever. After about a year and a half, I realised that if I ever wanted a job I’d need to face my fears and go back to school. I tried, I really did. I went out, mum spent over £150 on a new uniform for me and I lasted one day before I went home and cried. I couldn’t take it anymore, and I wanted to kill myself. My mum and dad were advised to take me to a school psychologist, who suggested that I go in to a school for people like me. People who struggled in mainstream environments. I remember at the end of the meeting, he asked me did I really mean what I said about killing myself. I remember seeing the look of sadness in my mum and dads eyes and lied and said “no.”

It was probably the best decision I ever made. After about a week waiting, I was taken down for an interview at the school. It was a small school, only about 30 pupils and demand is high to get in to it. I was lucky and they accepted me in. It was only after being there for 2 years and speaking to my art teacher that I was told I was at a high priority risk which is why my case was rushed. It felt really weird to think about that point in my life again.

I loved that school, I looked forward to going every day, I made friends and at one point was the most popular person there. In 3rd year, I sat my exams and got straight A’s. My last year there, I passed my exams again with all A’s and one B. Surprisingly, the B was in English which was always the subject I was best at, and Maths was my worst which is what I got an A in.

I even made a best friend there who was like a sister to me. We don’t talk anymore, we grew apart, but I’m always glad that I had her to experience having a best friend. We shared a lot together and she was there for me during a rough time when I had a stalker (that’s a story for another time.)

It’s weird writing all of this now that I’m both at college and have a job. What happened to me has shaped my life, though, and it won’t go away. I’m still bad in social situations, however I’ve gotten better at talking and interacting with strangers. And remember my ‘Habbo’ friends? I’ve met 2 of them in real life, and stayed with one of them for 4 days. I just want to let everyone know that if you’ve ever been bullied, no matter how shit and how worthless you’ll feel at one point in your life - it does, and will eventually, get better. There’s always someone out there who cares about you, and don’t be afraid to seek help. It’s a long process, but it’s worth it.

Wow. You are amazing and so, so strong. That is quite the inspirational life you’ve led. I’m amazed. You went through so much, so much pain that you didn’t deserve, but, yet, look at you - brilliant as ever, and accomplishing anything you could possibly think up in that brilliant mind of yours. I’m so thankful you shared your story. I’m nearly at a loss for words. It’s a great thing to read. It does get better, yes, it does. Thank you!

I’m now 17. My early life was fairly boring, I was a precocious child, I skipped 2nd grade. About the only thing that happened that had an impact on my life was in 4th grade.

I was at school and my best friend told me a secret. She did not tell my other best friend, so I told him instead. The friend with the secret punched me in the face, yet I stayed her friend. This really defines who I am now. I am someone who can take a lot of crap and still be friends with someone because I am simply a nice and loyal to a fault person. I am like a puppy, desperate for interaction and loyal even if someone hurts them.

In 9th grade, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and co-morbid depression. I have always been an anxious child, but one day I randomly woke up and had a panic attack about leaving the house. Overnight I had become agoraphobic. I take Zoloft each day to treat it now, and Xanax when needed, and now I don’t have nearly as much anxiety.  But it hangs over my head constantly, and I wonder, when I don’t want to do something, how much of it is because I am scared of having a panic attack.

I graduated from high school recently, when I was 16. It terrified me, as even now I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I like foreign languages, but I don’t like traveling or talking with people. I’m not sure what I want in life, other than to have love and be loved.

When I was 10, I once became so angry with my 5-year old sister that I picked her up from behind, and slammed her to the ground. I could have easily broken her back. From that day on, I resolved to never use violence against my sisters again.

When I was in 8th grade, I learned that yelling and emotions when angry is not helpful, and since then I have always argued with cold logic. It shouldn’t put a huge bearing on my life, but I believe it has caused my family to see me as an unfeeling, antisocial being who doesn’t care what she does in life. It hurts that they think of me that way.

A few months ago, I finally came to terms with the fact that I am asexual. I don’t have an interest in sex. I like to think that it is just the way I am, but I can’t shake a nagging suspicion that is because of my medicine. I also found that I am panromantic. Basically, I will love everyone no matter what gender they are. I can’t tell my parents though.

In my life, I have been offered alcohol close to 20 times. I have never had any.

My life has been boring with many events just rolling off of me. Sometimes I think my memory is failing, but I realize that I just erase all useless memories and I seem to think that many things are useless.

I think I may have missed the point of this submission, and missed some key points as well, but I wrote things that I felt defined my life in some way or another.

You did not miss the point of submission at all. Each person has their own story, and their own way of telling it. I can’t tell you how to tell it because it’s your story. And you told it perfectly.

I’m so sorry to hear about your GAD (am I allowed to shorten it to that?) and co-morbid depression. You’re a strong person to be able to control yourself, and overcome such hard obstacles in your way. But you’ve seemed to gotten around them quite gracefully, good on you! Panromantic. Well, just know, that I accept you and have no problems with who you are because who you are is amazing. You are a brilliant person with a brilliant heart (you seem caring). I hope the best with your parents, and that one day, you’ll be able to tell them that you’re panromantic, and that they’ll love you all the same. Because, you are you. And will always be you - a brilliant, perfect you.

Thank you so much for sharing!

Hey, my name’s Catie. So, my story isn’t that exceptional, but it’s a story nonetheless. I guess it would start when I was born about 14 years ago in a normal-sized town in Pennsylvania. PA would shape my life, as my mom grew up in New Jersey and my dad in upstate New York. Even my older sister of two years was born in NY. At some point before my birth, the mom’s side of the family migrated down here and have been here ever since. My parents often make fun of the way people here speak and act, and my sister, though I still love her so, tends to join in even if she can’t remember her life in NY. Despite all this, I really love my town and want to come back here after college. My best friend is a girl I have known practically since I was born, Olivia. We lived two houses away and went to the same elementary school. In fact, we were pretty much inseparable. I had some other friends but none were as close to me as her. When we moved on to middle school, Olivia ended up going to the public school in her school district, as we had both long since moved away from our old street, and I went to the only private middle/high school in our area. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to make another best friend so easily, as I had always been ’crazy outgoing’ among my friends but shy around anybody else. Luckily, I found that the friends that I always had but never paid as much attention to as I should’ve made me see what I was missing. It was then that those friends joined with some new friends I ended up making to make the best group I had ever had. I even discovered that our initials made up a familiar acronym:KFCB, or just KFC Bucket. Although I am still best friends with Olivia I learned how important it was to make more than one. Katie, Faffy (AKA Catherine), and Brenna are so amazingly hilarious and all around awesome (or, and this is for Katie, stellar). My story’s not finished yet, and this is just a snippet of the part already written, but I look forward to whatever twists and turns come along.

Oh stop that, your story is nothing but exceptional!

I’m glad you’ve learned that you can never have too many friends. Friends are a great thing to have. Your story is far from finished, it’ll only get more brilliant as you go. Stay brilliant, eh?

My story, well, I was born 19 years ago on November 26 in a hospital in Georgia. I was raised by two parents and we welcomed by sister in the world when I was 5. I was home schooled until my freshman year of High School (More on that in a minute). Unlike most people, Middle School was actual one of my favorite times in life thus far. I spent it with my 6 bestest friends in the world, Erin, Jill, Kelly, Lydia and Margaret who along with me made a Sisterhood for the 6 of us called the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cross (We’re all strong Christians and after watching The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants together one night, we decided to make our own sisterhood that would not only help us bond together but together would keep each other strong in our faith.) My 6th best friend in Georgia is Zach. All of middle school we hung out together at our home school group called, “Masters academy”, at church, at youth group, and every summer the 7 of us would go to church camp together where most of my best memories were made. My freshman year of high school (well, just before actually) my family got the shocking news that my elderly grandma in Kansas had been in a terrible car accident. (She’s fine now though has a lot of memory loss!) After much prayer and thought, we decided the best thing to do was to move to Kansas so we could help my grandparents out. In addition to helping them, my sister Noelle and I would have a lot more freedom. My mom had come down with a debilitating nerve disease shortly after my sister was born and then, just before my 12th birthday, she was also diagnosed with a lung disease, both of which left her bedridden and unable to drive or do everyday things. The town we were moving to in Kansas was only 9 blocks by 6 blocks, very safe and we could even walk every where we needed to go. It’s lovely, it’s a bit like Mayberry from the Andy Griffith Show, everyone knows everyone. After moving to Kansas in October of 2006, I started going to the local high school, it was somewhat scary at first because not only was I in a brand new state where I only knew my grandparents but also I had never even been in High School building. Almost immediately I made some good friends but it wasn’t until my sophomore year that I met my very best friend here, she came up to me and introduced herself in this way, “Hi, my name’s Jill, do you want to be best friends?” I said yes, and the rest is history. I love her so much and she always can make me laugh, she’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. The rest of High School I enjoyed being in Show Choir, Forensics (Where I did improvised Duet Acting with Jill) and performing in the school plays. Also, I’ve made lots of other friends that I love deeply! Last May, I graduated with slightly teary eyes because Jill and most of my other good friends were in the grade below me. In the fall I started attending Kansas State University where I roomed with a friend from high school. College was a refreshing place for me because I finally had some freedom, my parents are the strictest I’ve ever met (Ex. They wouldn’t let me watch Pocahontas til last year and I’m still not even allowed to bring anything Harry Potter in the house, I had to read the books on my front porch last summer.) That’s pretty much my life until now besides saying that last summer after finally reading and watching HP I become addicted to it and this past March I watched all of Doctor Who and LOVE it. Also, at college I have two more best friends Shelby and Alex who are fantastic and at college I constantly hang out with both of them.
By the way, Harry Potter was quite worth it. Worth the week and a half of reading on my porch sometimes til 1 in the morning, covered in mosquito bites because of it. They’re brilliant. And to be honest they give me courage to, my parents aren’t just strict really, they’re worse than just that. Recently they’ve taken to telling me I’m selfish, that I’ll never find love, that I’m not pretty anymore and I’m a disappointment. That’s why I like fantasy books a lot, and Doctor Who, I can pretend that there’s some place I can escape it all. Music and photography are also huge parts of my life. Photography is one thing I feel I’m actually good at and that and music also help me escape.

Those sound like amazing friends. Catchy name too, “Sisterhood of the Traveling Cross”. I’m so sorry to hear about your Grandma. But where you moved seems like a lovely place. As does Jill. What a character she seems to be. Your parents, boy, do they seem strict. Sorry about that. At least you snuck in the Harry Potter books, good decision on your part, they’re worth it, aren’t they? The Harry Potter books have such great morals, I’m glad that you could see that and then helped develop your courage. You are a lovely girl who will do lovely things, you are not a selfish, disappointing, or any of those things you parents claimed. That’s just nonsense, obviously, because your story says otherwise. Thank you for sharing your story!