Its okay to embrace being quiet.

The other day a Facebook friend posted a little game as his status asking friends to comment on what their own warning label would be should they have had one. It was a no brainer for me. I often make jokes about being a loner and scaring people away with my social anxiety, so I commented with my favorite label for myself Warning: does not play well with others. It got many likes. However for me it is actually a true fact I mask with humor.

As a kid who grew up without friends through most of primary school due to having a quiet nature, whose parents dressed her in hand-me-downs that were sure to make you stand out, Ive been a loner and an introvert as long as I can remember. I was also never taught how to ask for anything, so I never uttered the words can I please play jump rope too?

As an adult, my primary school memories are ones I try to shut away, as on my darkest, most lonely days, they have brought me to tears. It was during this loneliest part of my life as a child that I started to take control and be dependent only on myself. I would plan out my lunch breaks and fill them with stuff I liked to do. I remember bringing a basketball to school to play alone and books so I could hide away and read. When I did have some friends, it was short lived, as I ended up being bullied and made fun of constantly.