I Wore a Mask, and My Face Grew to Fit it
I Wore a Mask, and My Face Grew to Fit it
Growing up, I wasn’t exactly accepted by a lot of people or anyone at all for that matter. I would sit every day in class minding my own and listening to the teachers. I did what was told and simply followed the rules like one is supposed to. At lunch, I would sit alone and enjoy the lunch that I packed myself. Once practice came around I would do what coach said and tried to work with my teammates as much as possible. I seemed to be invisible to everyone else. By my seventh grade year I became fed up with the person I was and knew I had to make a change for the better before my life completely collapsed in front of me. I stayed up all night constructing a mask that would hide the old me. Before my quest had come to its end, I had built several different masks with different features and characteristics. At first, it was difficult to get on anyones’ radar. In the beginning, I tried to fit in with the nerdier group because of the social awkwardness they already had acquired. I figured this would be the easiest as my real personality didn’t seem much different, however, if I didn’t know any better I would say that I was wearing a Disney mask at a Star Wars convention. I got strange looks and several cold shoulders. After a miserable failure I decided to return home and mold my mask into a different fashion. Turned down again and again, I came to nearly the last mask I could possibly create. I began dressing in sports wear such as baggy shorts and Nike apparel. At first, my days would go as always. I still studied alone, sat alone, and all-in-all was completely isolated. Then a slight change arose. I received compliments on my new wardrobe and became noticed by the jocks. As ridiculous as it was, it was working and I did not question it. I took more time out of my days to practice every sport I could. By freshmen year I was fundamentally sound and had become more social. Picking up on “their” humor I tried it
Growing up, I wasn’t exactly accepted by a lot of people or anyone at all for that matter. I would sit every day in class minding my own and listening to the teachers. I did what was told and simply followed the rules like one is supposed to. At lunch, I would sit alone and enjoy the lunch that I packed myself. Once practice came around I would do what coach said and tried to work with my teammates as much as possible. I seemed to be invisible to everyone else. By my seventh grade year I became fed up with the person I was and knew I had to make a change for the better before my life completely collapsed in front of me. I stayed up all night constructing a mask that would hide the old me. Before my quest had come to its end, I had built several different masks with different features and characteristics. At first, it was difficult to get on anyones’ radar. In the beginning, I tried to fit in with the nerdier group because of the social awkwardness they already had acquired. I figured this would be the easiest as my real personality didn’t seem much different, however, if I didn’t know any better I would say that I was wearing a Disney mask at a Star Wars convention. I got strange looks and several cold shoulders. After a miserable failure I decided to return home and mold my mask into a different fashion. Turned down again and again, I came to nearly the last mask I could possibly create. I began dressing in sports wear such as baggy shorts and Nike apparel. At first, my days would go as always. I still studied alone, sat alone, and all-in-all was completely isolated. Then a slight change arose. I received compliments on my new wardrobe and became noticed by the jocks. As ridiculous as it was, it was working and I did not question it. I took more time out of my days to practice every sport I could. By freshmen year I was fundamentally sound and had become more social. Picking up on “their” humor I tried it