Literacy – Coming Of Age Narrative Essay

This year in Literacy Class I was working on a writing project (paper) that is called Coming Of Age Narrative Essay. Down below is my story.

I felt trapped within myself, searching for an undiscovered truth. It isn’t easy to enjoy life pretending, and it is even harder to learn a shocking truth about myself that feels impossible to admit. My life was a mess! Most of the time that’s how I felt. The sense of chaos in life got on my nerves so much, that I forsook all the wonderful things that had happened to me. That was just the past. “I love who I’ve been, but I really love who I am becoming,” is a life quote that literally changed my perspective and brought me to where I am today. This quote taught me to be myself, to accept the real me and to walk forward in life. In general no one’s life is perfect, but it can be relying on the meaning to give to it. To me, the definition of a perfect life is all about making mistakes, losing, learning, taking opportunities and growing from our failures. In order to succeed in life take action, learn from the past and walk forward to the future. I ascertain that I’m more open and honest with myself as I am getting older. I’ve learned to ignore the negativities and try to not let them haunt me, but instead turn them into strengths to become a better and stronger person.

I’ve developed to love and respect myself  like I’ve never been loved or respected before. In the past, I’ve found myself having feelings for certain guys, but I’ve also noticed that I have that same feeling with girls. I didn’t understand that could be. I was trapped with all those confused thoughts until, beyond any doubt I found an answer. “It’s impossible and foolish to have a girl-and-girl relationship, it doesn’t exist; no one has ever even mentioned it.” I claimed inside my heart. Since then, because I was so convincing to myself, I’ve never bother to think or even questioned myself about it ever again. Well, maybe not after a few years ago.

Growing up at Liger, a school for promising Cambodian youth,  has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. The other 49 students in my cohort have been my family because they’ve been there with me throughout the worst times of my life and even the greatest. Some of my Liger friends might be closer to me than the others, but every single one of them played an important role in my life. Liger has also provided life lessons and an education that is unique. Last year, a volunteer came for a week and introduced us to the acronym LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and many more).  He explained what it meant and why he was an advocate for human rights. During that class period, I felt extremely awkward. All the memories, thoughts, and curiosity about myself reappeared and I started to ask myself again “what could I possibly do.” I started looking up LGBTQ+ on the internet and then I realized, this is a very controversial topic. There’s been people who’ve identified themselves a certain way but their surroundings rejected and discriminated them. There’s also been artist that I really admire who came publicly, and became an extraordinary activist against the negativeness. Thereafter my thoughts battle back and forth until I’ve finally identified myself. I am a bisexual Cambodian girl and I am so proud that. I accepted who I am, I had the guts to tell a few close friends. The nervousness drained from the back of my spine into my bones, I was so nervous to bring it up, but then my friend were so open about me coming out to them. If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t change a thing about that coming out moment. Growing up in this culture and this country, it’s hard to talk about these topics. People would either discriminate or have no clue about this topic. I identified myself as bisexual, which means I’m attracted to both male and female. I know and accept the fact that not everyone is going to accept me for who I am, and I’m not so sure how my family and this culture will handle the truth, but it wouldn’t change the fact that I will fight for my rights and position in this country because this is who I am and who I will always be.

Every decisions I made was not easy. All the little mistakes and lessons lead me to who I am today. These are my secrets in becoming an adolescence. My life is not always easy, but the difficulties are what make it meaningful. I’ll will always take the chance to examine myself and won’t hide it because that’s what make my life great and it will be greater.

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