This site is one that I like, as much as I don’t want to admit it. I have thoughts in the back of my mind telling me to leave. That people don’t like me here, and that my presence here doesn’t matter. That’s nobody’s fault but my own, but I wish I could interact on this site like a normal human being.
I wish I didn’t know that others on this site have me ignored. There are some things about this site that bother me I can’t fully express because some users will always have a certain opinion of me. I know I said things in the past considered controversial, and in no way am I trying to justify it, but I want to say that I wasn’t in the best place back then. I had pretty bad experiences outside of the forum, and I was letting people in my life influence my thoughts.
My grandma and my dad were telling me things like, “if person was white, that wouldn’t have happened,” and “this is what happens when you put people in positions of power that don’t deserve it.” I’m someone easily influenced by other people, or at least I was.
I knew that I wasn’t as ****ty as a person as I thought I was. I used to question why my grandma was the way she was when I was younger. She would shout (well, speak, but she has a loud natural voice) the most racist and bigoted things in public settings, like at grocery stores. I was always embarrassed to go out with her because of this. I didn’t want to be associated with her. I didn’t want to be like her.
But in reality, all I managed to become was one of the people I hated most. I like to think I’ve gotten better at not letting my emotions control me, but that doesn’t change what happened in the past. I hate that my words have made so many people uncomfortable on this site, and that I’m part of what’s tainted their views on this site.
I truly did not think about the things I was saying before posting and I’m sorry if my presence or words have made anyone uncomfortable. I’ve been in a few instances at my current job, where I’ve come across not-so-pleasant customers and I was able to bite my tongue… and not let my emotions control me. A little while ago, my mom told me that if she hadn’t believed I’d changed, she wouldn’t have gotten me this job with her. It gave me just a glimmer of hope that I wasn’t the ****ty person I thought I was.