The Race to be Myself

There are many ways to be a girl.

people treat you the way you treat yourself.

They learned to respect me because I respected myself.

adults, who should know better, are the cruelest of all.

Kids can be cruel.

Unless invited,
you mind your business, let others mind theirs.

Dresses didn’t make sense for me. I needed more protection than they offered.

And I was never afraid to speak my mind.

it seemed the rest of the world thought I was some kind of monster.

she carried herself with a dignity that made her seem much taller.