Say it Loud and Proud

Let’s go back to 6^th grade little Liandro was trying to find his place in his schools popularity hierarchical ladder. I was surrounded with people I called friends who had very different interest than me. Which in no way is bad, well not until they put you down at for having your own interest that is.

Around this time began watching an Anime by the name of Naruto, from earlier posts you already know I became quite  fond of this certain show. I wanted my friends to know about it and watch it as well, because I thought it was that cool. They did and had fairly nice things to say about it, well at least some of them did. Which was fine with me everybody has their own opinion, I shortly after began watching another Anime called Beck Mongolian Chop Squad. I thought it was awesome and couldn’t wait to tell my friends about it. As I brought it up in one of our daily conversations I became the target of insults, they could care less what I had to say and made fun of me for watching Anime. I learned immediately to not talk about it again at all in school.

My whole High School career I went trying to join sports or hanging out with “Cool Kids” just to fit in. I rejected what I truly was interested in and gave up precious time just to not feel like an outcast. The summer after graduation I lost all contact with all my old “friends” and began immersing myself in my own interest, one of which was anime. I know this isn’t an incredibly inspirational story, I didn’t go through major hardship, It was just a case of me sacrificing the things I loved because I was too scared to become a target.

Don’t forsake yourself for others who don’t care about you, if you have something you love hold on to it tight and it will take you to a place you want to be. For example through anime I have been able to make great friends who still stay in contact with me even after moving 200 miles away or friends who share completely different interest than me but would never put me down for it. What do you love? Say it loud and proud and others will follow, trust me.