Growing up in Mossyrock, one thing was for certain: anything different or unique was looked down upon. This was cemented into my head, even by my own parents. When I came out in eighth grade, I thought I knew all about friendship, but, by the end of the year, I had two friends left, and things were not looking bright. I had to find a solution to my problem, but what?

When I came out in eighth grade, I was ready to receive support from my friends and family, but instead I received backlash and comments, like “You have your whole life ahead of you,” and, “Well, you don’t know yet,” but I knew. I have a feeling that I always knew who I was; I just wasn’t ready to showcase it yet. I received backlash from people I didn’t know, and even their parents. I was receiving comments from people I had never met before, all because I was trailblazing a new path for myself, instead of hiding in the closet until graduation. I was ready to be myself, and Mossyrock didn’t enjoy that.

Multiple events have made me realize that I need to act a certain way in Mossyrock, like times I’ve overheard my peers talking about people like me, and how they should just “be normal” or when people tell me that I’m being too “extra.” I feel like I always thought about Mossyrock as a place where I could fit in, but fitting in is really hard when you don’t meet the expectations. My peers have made me realize the most fundamental thing you can learn, and it's that not everyone thinks the same. I have met people in Mossyrock who I can actually relate to, and enjoy being around. The only problem is that, in some places, not everyone has been as lucky as me.

One of the most critical moments of my life happened in Mossyrock, and it has stuck with me ever since the day it happened. I was walking alone to go get breakfast in the morning when someone shoulder checked me and called me the F slur. I had no idea what I did or even why someone would do that, but when I told my teacher about it, I was told that maybe they “didn't mean it” and was sent back to my seat to work. These events started happening weekly, and then almost daily. I couldn’t feel safe inside the halls of my school anymore. The threats were getting physical, and I’m not the confrontational type, so I didn’t say anything back.

I have learned a lot about myself throughout this entire experience, but the main thing is that you need to take care of yourself, and love yourself for who you are, instead of trying to fit into insane standards that you will never meet. While I have tried for years to get people to realize this, I am about to graduate soon, and have given up on trying to educate the masses. I need to get my work done for college, and get my grades ready for the end of first semester and the start of second. I plan to leave Mossyrock once I graduate, and I am not entirely sure if I'll ever return.

In conclusion, Mossyrock has given me plenty of trials and tribulations that have taught me vital life lessons. I will be forever grateful for the people I have met and the memories they have given me. I will never forget them. Most importantly, Mossyrock has taught me to be more open minded and to worry less about what others think. I think we could all benefit from that lesson. I would love to do it all over again, but there's honestly not much I would change, if I could change anything. I have made amazing friendships, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

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