What's the "mean" girl doing?
I came to an understanding early that "age-mate" and "peer" are not the same thing.
My strategy for surviving adolescence as the unpopular kid that was smarter than everybody else was to basically ignore everybody else. I developed ways to be comfortable with myself. I know I am responsible for myself and the things that I do, it's not the fault of anybody else I have contact with. I am responsible for the good things that happen to me, and I recognize my hand in the messes that I occasionally find myself in, and know that I have the ability to do something about it. My self-worth is not based upon what others think of me. Of course, those who say good things are right, and those who say bad things are either wrong or jealous.
If I let that shit get to me I wouldn't have made it past 12, much less be a relatively functional adult.
I had books and television instead of friends. I eventually got some friends.
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