I had a rough time in high school and college mostly because I was one of the only kids I knew in the circles I moved in who liked nerdy things like Star Wars and video games. I spent most of my time growing up feeling like the total misfit who obviously had something wrong with her because she liked these things that no one ever heard of. If there had been internet back in those days, I think I might have had an easier childhood, but there wasn't, and everyone else around me was into football and boyfriends and drinking and "normal" stuff.

I've always been fairly confident about myself, so it didn't devastate me as much as it could have, but I have depression, so being ostracized by my peers wasn't the best thing for a growing teenager with mental issues.

Took me a really long time to realize that there really wasn't anything wrong with me and other people had these interests too. Thank God for the internet and anime conventions and LJ. XD