Trigger Warning.
I knew I had to make a difference when I noticed adults would treat my black friend differently from all the other kids. I noticed at 4.
I knew I had to make a difference when my baby brother was born and I was thrown into being an older sister, and suddenly I was never good enough and had to help with everything. I was 6.
I knew I had to make a difference when I first noticed the kids in my class were told they weren't old enough to know/do something. I noticed at 7.
I knew I had to make a difference when my other baby brother was born, and I had to be a parent to my other brother. I was 8.
I knew I had to make a difference when my grandmother told my cousin not to cry because "real men don't cry". I knew at 9.
I knew I had to make a difference when I moved to middle school and now I had more homework than any of my class could handle. I was 10.
I knew I had to make a difference when my friends started saying how they wish they would die because of stress with family and school. I was still 10.
I knew I had to make a difference when we got our first final and half the class failed because they didn't have enough energy to study. I was still 10.
I knew I had to make a difference when I first heard about LGBTQ+ and was told that they would go to hell because they loved the same gender. I was still 10.
I knew I had to make a difference when I read my first article about black people being shot because they were black. I was 11.
I knew I had to make a difference when I first heard the phrase, "It's always don't get r@ped, never don't r@pe." I was 11.
I knew I had to make a difference when my friend told me she was r@ped and her parents called her "disgusting". We were 11.
I knew I had to make a difference when I had to start recording things when I was with my mom. I was 12.
I knew I had to make a difference when I heard about all the things the presidents have done. I was 12.
I knew I had to make a difference when I learned that colored/indigenous women could vote until 1962/1965.
I knew I had to make a difference when I had to put "trigger warning" at the beginning of this because things that I need to make a difference because of, are scary. I am almost 13.
I know I need to make a difference. And one day, I'll have the right to.
Yummy its only 476 words 😨😨😨😨
