I’ve never been the popular girl. I’ve never been the girl that everyone likes. I’ve always been that puzzle piece that just doesn’t fit quite right. I’ve always wanted to venture off on my own path and make a name for myself on my own. I never really liked it when people tried to copy my ways or do what I had always dreamed of doing. I’ve always been an oddball.             I’ve also never really loved myself. I have flaws just as much as the next person. I look in the mirror and see a sinner; someone who belongs in the fiery pit of hell for all the terrible things I’ve ever done. I have anxiety like crazy and it runs in the family. Depression has been a constant in my life since I started high school. Neither one has left me yet and I feel they will continue to haunt me until the day I die unfortunately.            However, none of this makes me a “trash” human being. I have feelings. I care about others. I try my best to put others before myself most times because I care more what happens to my fellow human than to me. I could be going through something and still feel as though someone going through the same ordeal is worse off than me and deserves a better outcome. I know some things I do will not make sense, and there will be times that people will hate me, or those who once cared will turn their backs on me because they do not like what I am doing. I just want people to know I try to do my best in making life decisions, whether they are good or not. Those are things I will find out in my own time. I just want to express that I feel no hatred towards anyone and I really do want to make peace with those I may have wronged in life or ones that may have issues with who I am or what I do to have peace within my mind, heart, and soul.The only reason I felt the need to say this is because I am tired of feeling like no matter what I do, I will never measure up. I took classes to get this degree because I wanted to get out of the rut I was stuck in. I wanted to say I did something on my own and no one could say it was handed to me. I earned this degree and every hard milestone it took to get here was worth it. I work hard at my job, I work hard in school, and I try my best to be kind to others and treat them the way I would like to be. I cannot make everyone like me, nor can I change people’s opinion of me, but I hope by me extending an olive branch, maybe someone would be willing to look past all of the negativity and see me for who I really am, instead of an idea painted of me from words of mouth.