Break Out of Your Invisible Handcuffs

When “be yourself” is actually kind of difficult. But worth it.

Photo by Soroush golpoor on Unsplash

Your mom hates you. She says it just like that. You’re a freak. Are you retarded? Are you a boy or a girl? Pick one and stay there. So you do, and kill the power to half your soul for ten years.

Or maybe you pretend to. Then one day, you join an outdoors club and see the world as pictured above.

It changes you a little. Or a lot.

Yeah, I used the R-word earlier. If you’re called the R-word a third of your life, I think you get permission to use it.

After all, you know the damage. That’s the point.

You’re going to reclaim the word.

My advice to anyone — never disconnect from part of your soul. Never let anyone call you the R-word. Or anything.

But if they do, realize what they really mean.

They don’t understand you yet. Maybe you’re an early bloomer. So early they think you’re late.

Synonyms abound. Dumb. Stupid. Crazy. But they’re not real synonyms. Idiots and morons make a deliberate decision to ignore facts. Crazy is a word that can dismiss anyone. The people who everyone calls the R-word think differently. That’s all.