Storyyyyyyyyyyyyy timmmmmmmmme!!!. All my life, how I look has never been a concern until I journeyed abroad. Never have I for once thought my capabilities, likeability and acceptance will be dependent on looks or my skin colour.

I thought people will like me for my smiling wrinkle-free face🤪 👩🏽 , supportive nature, many gap teeth😁 (maybe I should get braces), sleepy ‘sexy’ eyes, several hours consuming beautiful braids, intelligence and hard -work. Alas, I was wrong.

My cluelessness was so bad that I didn’t notice I was ‘contrary to the norm‘ until someone said it to my face (What the hell!!!😳). At that moment, I began to replay earlier scenarios, of awkward actions, body language, sudden laughs, times when I was treated differently, nonchalantly, rejected, discarded and trampled upon. My nonchalant attitudes towards situations (thanks to my reading rituals) killed my sensitivity to people’s behaviour towards because I am always focused on my tasks and goals. So, instead of judging them, I give the benefit of a doubt and show understanding.  Why? because I am awesome ………Lol. One of my mottos in life is “aim to understand the reason behind a person’s action because they might just need a friend to stand by them”. I tend to perceive beyond the flaws, gossips and opinions, to see an imperfect human being just being ‘human’.

Being ‘different’ has caused me a lot of pains, disappointments, unnecessary heartache and unwarranted hate, and all these marred my SELF-ESTEEM. Another motto of mine is ‘no one is perfect’, which is why it takes me a while to blame someone, rather I engage in activities that keep me sane, positive and focused.

Have ever felt different ? Kindly share your story and your coping strategies.