“It sounds corny, but I’ve promised my inner child that never again will I ever abandon myself for anything or anyone else again.”
Wynonna Judd
Dear one,
I used to care about being taken seriously. A lot. Back then, I had the mistaken notion that in order to be taken seriously, I had to be serious all the time. What I discovered over time is that I lost an important part of myself along the way, replacing it with the apparent trappings of responsible adulthood.
Coming into my own as a part of the queer subculture often fed some of the same triggers, oddly enough. I was supposed to go to the right bars, listen to the right music, drink the right drinks, wear the right clothes, be masculine enough to attract attention, but low key enough to appear as though I didn’t really want it.
Somewhere along the way, I received a wakeup call from my inner child. They (my inner child is gender-less) told me that the damage of my own childhood was not normal and that it was okay to be childlike sometimes. It’s fine for an adult man to shave his head into a mohawk, dye it hot pink, and know all the words to the new Taylor Swift song. Or wear nail polish, skirts, or whatever else they want to wear.
Am I going to stop being serious? Nope. Am I going to say stupid shit that I’ll probably regret at some point? Yep. Most important though, I’m working on making a better me, and a better me is a happier me. A happier me includes recognizing and embracing all parts of myself, not just those that benefit others.
While people are talking about making resolutions for the new year, don’t forget that sometimes being a better person is being more open to who you really are.
Never forget that I love you, and that excludes no one.
Love,
