a member at the gym I work at came in and asked me "Aren't you a little old for braces?" I was so shocked that he actually said that to me that I just replied with, "what?" He repeated himself and I still had no idea how to answer that, so I just said I don't know. Then he proceeded to tell me that they must have hurt and when I said I got used to them fairly quickly, he pretty much told me that they must suck.
First off, ouch. Second, who the hell are you to even say that to someone? I felt like saying "aren't you a little young to be going bald"? Or, "tell your kid to stop losing our fucking basketballs and change his name so it isn't the same as my Cats'". My little Spenny doesn't deserve to share a name with an idiot.
I just still can't believe he said that to me. And it's not so much the fact that he said it, it was his tone. He sounded so genuinely mad, or even offended, by the fact that I was 20 years old and had braces.
Thankfully, after this came a conversation with a co-worker about how I shouldn't be so hard on myself all the time and that my new tattoo is a great reminder and he's glad I got it.
Because to be completely honest, when this guy said that to me it made me go back to everything I was just starting to overcome. I've always hated my teeth, and I've hated being social because I was afraid people would make fun of me. Since I got braces, that fear had grown worse since now there was even more attention being called to my mouth. But I was finally starting to tell myself that this is all worth it, and to start liking myself now, because believe it or not when these bad boys come off I'm not just going to suddenly start. It's not a switch that can be turned on, but at least if I tell myself everyday that I'm one step closer to feeling beautiful, then maybe when that day comes I'll actually believe it.