Chapters 5, 6, and 7, plus a little reshuffling
It’s been a couple of weeks since my last update, and I’ve been busy. I finished revising the last three chapters of Section 1, my childhood years.
First, a little housekeeping: I swapped the order of two chapters. The school bus and werewolf story I shared last time is now Chapter 6, and a new Chapter 5 comes right before it. The story simply flows better that way.
Chapter 5: Compliments and Insults
Some words stick with us long after they’re spoken, whether they’re true or not. This chapter is about two of those moments from when I was nine, both from grown-ups who should have known better.
The first was a teacher who called me a “loser” in front of the whole class. My answer? On my next homework assignment, on every single name line, I wrote “I am NOT a loser” in letters bigger than the printed word “Name.” A few days later, she apologized. I said thank you, arms still crossed, haha.
The second came from a police officer on a hard night, who looked over at me and said, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I didn’t argue. I quietly decided I would prove him wrong with my life.
The heart of this chapter: compliments and insults are both opinions. Either one might hold some truth, and neither one gets the final say. No one else gets to write on your name line.
Chapter 6: Bullies and Questioning or Respecting Authority
You met this one in my last update: the fogged-up bus windows, the scowl in the driver’s mirror, and the werewolf rumor. Since the swap, I reworked its lessons so they focus on one big question: where does your sense of worth actually live?
Chapter 7: Stand Up With Your Entire Being
Fifth grade. Girl power was everywhere, and I got a Spice Girls poster for my tenth birthday. (My favorite? Posh, obviously. Okay, maybe it’s not so obvious.) On the playground, I appointed myself the defender of my friends against a pack of very wily boys.
And one afternoon at home, I stood up for someone I love, even though I wasn’t even five feet tall. I didn’t have words for it then, but that moment woke up something I now think of as unseen power: what happens when something simply has to change, and every part of you gets on board.
A question for you
From this round of You Are the Change sections:
If you wrote one sentence on your name line today, what would it say? I am…
I’d love to read yours in the comments.
Next up: Section 2, the adolescent years. Buckle up!
Aubrey
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