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This is My Year of The Cringe
2022 has been my year of making big changes.
So what exactly do I mean by this year being the year of the cringe? In this case, I’m referring to the definition of something that is super awkward or even embarrassing. I declared at the start of this year that I would embrace change, and even instigate it, regardless of how it made me feel or how I would look to others. I would embrace the “cringe”.
As someone who prefers to be unseen, this new idea was something that both excited and terrified me.
Obviously, what I find embarrassing or awkward might not be something that anyone else would — I’m a collection of moments and trauma that are unique to me. But as I get older, I want to live my life like I want, instead of what I think others want from me — regardless of how I might be perceived.
I don’t want to act my age anymore
Growing up, I was always told that I acted “more mature for my age” than most of my peers. While this might seem like something innocent to tell a young child, it caused a lot of grief for me. What was acting my age then? As I grew up, I wanted to maintain that level of maturity so I always opted for reading books or something that wasn’t play.
This meant that while other kids were playing on a playground, I was hanging…
