(19, GA, USA) Anonymous - The Ideas Of Perception

I always felt like the girl who blended into the background, the one who never quite fit in. I never felt like I belonged, like I was worthy of anything or anyone’s attention. Growing up in a small town where everyone knew everyone, especially each other’s business, it felt like my identity was already defined by the collective perception of people around me. My parents were supportive but in an overbearing, “you can do anything” way that felt like pressure rather than encouragement.

I graduated high school last year and moved to college. I decided to move away and not go to college in my hometown. It was a fresh new start for me, not High School 2.0 like it would have been if I had stayed. It was overwhelming at first. I didn’t know anyone and felt lost and out of place, which wasn’t new. But slowly, I began to notice something. Here in this new, anonymous place, no one had any preconceived notions about me. I was just myself, and that could mean anything. I could reinvent myself, which didn’t mean I didn’t love myself. I joined a sorority and found a couple of friends. I felt like I had changed for the better.

When I went back to my hometown for the holidays, I saw it with fresh eyes. The place hadn’t changed, but I had. I no longer felt confined by the old perceptions of who I was. I could see the good in the familiarity and the comfort in the routine, but I also knew there was a whole world beyond it waiting for me to explore. I was able to reconnect with my peers in my hometown and form new connections. Each new experience and each new connection helped me see the world and myself differently. I learned that perception is fluid, shaped by context and perspective. What seemed like flaws in one place could be strengths in another.