I am in pursuit of self-acceptance, bravery, and happiness. Throughout my entire life, I have never truly been myself around others. I have only shown them what I want them to see, or what I'm okay with them seeing. The truth is, the things that I like or am interested in aren't exactly considered "normal" or are well accepted by most people. I've never really told or talked to anyone about them because I'm afraid of what might happen if I do. How will my friends react when they find out the person they thought they knew wasn't genuine? Will my family be disappointed if I told them the truth? I don't want to disappoint my family, and I don't want to lose my friends. At the same time, however, I'm unhappy with the person that I am, not being brave enough to express myself the way I want to. The way that feels right. Each day I grow more and more tired of hiding. Maybe being honest with myself and with others is what's best for me. I have yet to muster up enough courage to face my fears and pursue happiness, but one day I will, not because I'll want to, but because my life will depend on it. My hope is that I'll inspire others to be who they are and express themselves as they please. The world is full of all kinds of problems, and the only way we're going to solve them is if we do it together. But how are we to do that if we can't even accept each other for who we are? Human beings are a peculiar species, and once we learn to accept that, we can learn to accept each other, and more importantly, ourselves. Age: 17 Pronouns: He/Him