I was seven years old the first time someone told me I was ugly. But that day started off great. I was visiting the community pool with my family. I liked to just swim back then. Something about the water yelled freedom to me. I would dart back and forth avoiding people and seeing how long I could stay under. At one point early on in the day a girl swam up to me and told me she wanted to tell me a secret. She whispered into my ear that her friend, whom she pointed to over her should, thought I was really cute. Before I had the chance to ask what her friend's name was she swam away. I aimlessly swam around for what seemed like hours after that. I pictured her friend in my head and tried to think of something to say. Anything would do. Just anything. I came to the surface after a good run of holding my breath under water and saw an adult talking to the two girls. The one who told me the secret got out of the water and followed the adult to the towels. Her friend, who apparently thought I was cute, swam back towards the middle of the pool. I could wait no more. She would probably leave soon and I might never see her again. So I swam with all the speen I could muster after a full day in the sun and reached her just as she was starting back towards the edge of the pool. My mind was racing as our eyes met. I forced the words out of my tired lung.
Hey, your friend told me you thought I was cute
Her reply would change my life.
No, I think your ugly as hell
You see at that point in my life I had not given much thought to the way I looked. But after that day I began to get more and more worried about the way I looked.
-roguemind