Unmasked

Entry One

There are many of you out there that hide under a mask. What other people see isn't the real you, but rather someone who has been molded and beaten down into other people's views of perfection. Some people have been under that mask their whole life, others were forced into hiding. They've told you over and over how you weren't good enough or how your voice doesn't matter. Well, it's time to prove them wrong. It's time to take that step forward and prove that you matter. Make your voice the loudest they will ever hear. It might seem like people don't care about the person behind that mask of perfection, but trust me, they do. There are more people out there like you. There are more people struggling to take that mask off and show the world that the person behind it matters too.

Many of you might be asking how I know what it's like. The answer to that is simple: because I am that person. I've been hiding behind this mask since I was seven. I was beaten down so many times that I stopped getting up. I stopped being who I truly was, and I let the people around me take control of a life that wasn't theirs. I can't blame them, and you can't either. We let them take control the moment we stopped fighting. The only person that there is to blame is yourself. That is exactly who I blame. Myself.

At first glance, I don't look like the person who would need to hide under a mask. I don't look like someone who has been broken behind repair and hiding how I truly feel. I am your slightly-below-average teenage girl. I take advanced courses, hang out with friends, have a loving family, and everything you would expect to make someone happy. Thing is, having all of this doesn't make you happy, especially if your voice has gone unheard for so long. Honestly, I've been under this mask for so long, I don't know who I truly am underneath it.

I'm tired of hiding. I am tired of people blocking my voice. I am tired of them mocking me and making me seem worthless. I want to be more than that "happy" girl over there. I want to be more than just a mask. I am strong! I am brave! I am more that just a mask! I want to be your inspiration, your beacon of hope. I want to tell you that hiding isn't an option anymore. You are worth so much more than what others make of you. Your voice matters too.

Okay I am kind of getting ahead of myself here because I haven't even taken off the mask yet. But now I am taking that chance and showing the world the real me. So... Hello everyone. My name is Maxine Gray, and this is the story of how I got rid of my mask.