Good Boys

0. Good Boys

— S Y N O P S I S —

"Boys can't get raped."

"Boys can't cry."

Some people just don't know.

-

— D E D I C A T I O N —

To all the boys who have been raped.

To all the boys who've been told it's unmanly to cry.

To all the boys who can't let their emotions out.

To all the boys who have to follow what society says.

To all the boys who just want to live a normal life.

You get to control your life; it's yours, not anybody else's.

I want you to know and, always remember, that you can

cry. You can get raped. Boys, you can experience it all. Some

people need to realize that you're human. You're not invisible,

or else you wouldn't have feelings. You'd be robotic.

You wouldn't be you.

-

— A U T H O R ' S N O T E —

There was a little kid, sixth grader, I met on a bench inside my middle school. It was after a pep rally and he was crying. I sat down and talked to him, asking him why he was crying. A teacher had yelled at him for no reason. I understood how he felt because that's happened to me before, but I also knew he would get used to it after that encounter. Still, the teacher had no right to yell at him. She could've politely asked or told him to do something.

But what punctured my heart – and later made me cry – was that he had Disney books in his arms. There was a Rapunzel book in his grasp, and he explained to me that he loved Disney. He said, "It's stupid – a sixth grader! – reading Disney books."

And I told him, "No, it's not stupid. They're good books. I love them too."

He was a young boy who cried in front of me and who loved Disney books. And if he could do that, without feeling a bit of embarrassment, then other guys can do that too. Matt, I hope you grow up to be a handsome, lively man because you're an amazing kid. I wish there are more people like you.

Boys, you don't have to be invincible.