Stand up, speak out

Once, a stranger added me on msn and I accepted, thinking it was one of my friends with a dodgy email address. Then he/she said "you're not an ordinary girl are you?". Obviously they were promptly deleted and blocked, but it was weird that whoever it was hadn't been that far off the mark. I'm not an ordinary  girl because NO-ONE is ordinary.
A few years ago, however, I was the sort of girl who was desperate to fit in, because I was bullied and I thought if I was like everyone else I would be left alone. I'm not all that good at fitting in though, and when I moved away and started High School I had the chance for a new start- which I'm eternally grateful for. And for the past 4 years I have been focusing less on fitting in and more on being me. Of course I've had a love of books since I was tiny, so that's never changed. And I kept going to karate, but I also did things that scared the hell out of me. Like choir, being in a school play, helping in the library, going on a school exchange and basically just talking to people.
My Epiphany came when I truly realised, not everyone was going to hurt me. Okay I had setbacks, arguments with friends that brought back uncomfortable memories or just general bad days. But I forgive the people who made my life hell for 6 years and in a way I am, if not thankful, acknowledging that because of my experience with them, I am all of who I am today. Cos' there is a silver lining, you've just got to work for it. I went to counselling for a while, and that helped me become part of a key fund group with girls like me. I also started to volunteer at my school working with year 7's and 8's. And I became part of a youth group, where we do stay awakes for charity, and have quiz and karaoke nights.
But most importantly, I'm happy with who I am, and where I am. And I hope that in the future if I could just inspire ONE girl to change her life the way I did, and truly make a difference, then good can come from bad.