In second grade you stole my stuff and defaced my property. Fifth grade, you and your little squad decided to hit me upside the head with a broomstick, said I was too outspoken, “a girl must be submissive and obedient,” was that what you said? Ninth grade, you barked at me and told me I did not have the right to live. Said I needed to leave the planet to where I came from because “no human being would ever want you or have you as their own anyway.”

I am sorry, this is not how I wanted this to go, this was supposed to be a tribute. A mere thank you letter, for all the things you did for me.

Now, this may seem a little absurd, because it really kind of is, but I need to thank you. Not just the ones mentioned above, but all of you. Without your true sympathy, I would not have become who I am today. With all the horrible things you did, surprisingly enough, you actually helped me. Of course, at the time I did not realize that. I would come home crying, begging and fighting my mother to not take me back. I hated who I was: my countries, my culture, my family; however, I need to thank you for that. You quickly showed me that life is not, and never will be, a place where you can dance all your worries away. It is a difficult battle you must fight for and God forbid you have any dreams, because they are not going to come true. You quickly taught me to become thick skinned, to let the incoming insults roll off my back. In fact, why not insult myself as well? Someone has to show the haters how to do it right.

All because I was different.

You never once accepted the fact that, no matter how vast the world is, it is not made up entirely of people like yourself.

There is a saying, by Patrick Jones, “The nail that sticks out farthest gets hammered the hardest.” Well, have you ever wondered, that maybe your hammer might be angled just slightly? The thing is, if the hammer is angled, the nail does not go down. Instead, it bends. The nail defies your will, in fact, it ruins the floor.

Now you are probably thinking, “What is your point?” I guess what I am trying to do, is show you that you were not wrong. I am different, you helped me see that. The fact that I stand out, makes me the farthest thing from average. You made me feel weak, but in retrospect, you forced me to realize that I am a strong, outspoken person. I have my own goals, my own ideals. You showed me how to be myself. You helped me realize true happiness in being my own kind of human being. I could never be more grateful, so thank you.

Editor’s Note: Jane Elliston is a Senior at Fair Grove High School, she writes about her life and the challenges she faces.