This is a Safe Place.

1/3/20

Well, 2020 eh? This could be your year guys, let me tell you a story. I just had an amazing talk with a guy in the waiting room of my therapist's office. I sat down while my mom checked me in and he came and sat down in the chair opposite of me. Of course, I'm just sitting on my phone doing who knows what and he notices my choker. He says "I thought that was a tat for a second." He pointed to his neck as I felt for the choker, thinking about what he could be talking about. Once I did, I said "oh no, my mom would murder me." He said, "so would I if my daughter got one but, its self expression, you can't get too mad." I nodded. We went back to doing random things on our phones and I glanced up every so often, looking at his tattoo sleeves, amazing art let me tell you. "Your shoes are cool, the color." I glanced down, my converses with the flip down tags that turn to purple. "Oh, yeah." I flipped the tags down. "I would wear 'em like this but I have zero shirts to match this with." He says, "No, you don't need it, it stands alone." I nodded, and really internalized that. "You know, people would look at girls like you and say, 'Oh, she's gothic, don't go near her' or look at guys like me, especially when I had long hair, and be like 'oh, no don't socialize with him, he has tattoos and long hair'. One thing I've realized is just, people stereotype but do what you like. If you want to display the little pop of purple, do it, who cares if someone doesn't like it, it's you, you're you, don't let others hate on you." I nodded. "People stereotype you know, the world would be so much more peaceful without them all but we can't help that." He just said, "You can, all you have to do is just be you." For some odd reason, this guy appeared in my life right when I was struggling with my appearance and he just made my day. So, if you're reading this my guy, I love you as a human, don't ever change, you must be a wonderful father.