I am what I am. I am an only child. I have the complete and unconditional love and attention of my parents at the drop of a hat. I still call them Mommy and Daddy. I am what I am. I have strong family values. I enjoy spending time with my parents and finding out their interests. I know most teens find that odd, but do I care what they think? I am what I am. I value my friends more than anything because they are the closest things I have to siblings. I do not crave the attention of the outside world because I know I will always be on someone’s mind. I take on so much responsibility seeing as I am the only one who will carry on my family name. I have pressures from my parents to succeed and make something of my life; to not make them feel like failures because there is only me. I have no siblings to hide behind or to blame my failures on. I’m alone in this struggle. I am what I am.

I am what I am. I am a Hairspray-singing, singing-in-the-bathroom-with-a-hairbrush, Chinese-food-eating, karaoke-loving, Law&Order: SVU junkie, and all around theater geek. I live for theater. I listen to Broadway more than a baby listens to lullabies. I am what I am. I yearn to escape into the world of theater. I run to New York any chance I get to experience the next masterpiece on Broadway. I crave the excitement of being someone else for hours on end and trying to figure out their story. I love the amount of power I inhale when I take the stage. I am what I am. I can command a room with a single word. I am loud. I stand tall. I can be whoever I want to be and no one can judge. I love the pulse I get when on stage and the feeling that I can overcome any obstacle that is put in front of me. I know that the electricity that floods my heart is something that can’t be explained, no matter how hard I try to formulate it into words; it is a feeling that only us “theater geeks” get. I know there is no mistake in theater- that is except, of course, a bad wig. I depend on theater to feed my soul. I am what I am.

I am what I am. I am fat. I said it. I am fat. I’ve always been this way, since the age of three. I know the stereotypes people associate with fat people. I’m here to clear the air. I am not defined by being fat. I must admit that it does hold me back, but not enough for me to have no friends or to not wear normal clothes, like you must think. I know I can’t be on an athletic team, or run a marathon, but neither can half the people I know and who says I would want to run for miles on end? I didn’t. I say to those who judge me, you don’t know me. I am what I am. I see no point in judging me based on one aspect of my physical appearance. If you take the time to get to know me, I am the opposite of my stereotype. I have strong self-esteem. I have tons of friends who love me. I am confident. I don’t let anyone mold me or push me around. I am my own person. I am what I am. If you don’t like it, leave. I don’t need you in my life. I am what I am. I know I might not be able to shop at every store Malibu Barbie does, but you want to know a little secret? I never let that stop me. I am always complimented on my amazing sense of style. I know how to deal with what I have. I was handed a bad hand of cards, but I deal with it better than anyone I know. No one can change me. I am what I am.