I am who I am today because I wasn’t born pretty, and I’m extremely thankful for that.
Not to brag but growing up, I was quite beyond my years. When I was in preschool, I was the only kid who knew the Filipino translation for “orange”, the flag of Bangladesh, and the continents of the world. I understood the difference between having your own house and renting a house, as well as the difference between married and live in partners. Seems unbelievable, but it’s true.
Since I knew all those things, I also knew that other children were prettier than me. I have learned at an early age that I wasn’t pretty. I had 2 very pretty classmates that time, and that number increased when I entered grade school which I used to call “big school”.
In first grade, I learned the quote “What is beauty if your brain is empty?” and understood exactly what it meant. That was when I realized that I knew a lot of pretty but dumb kids in my school (no offense meant).
Growing up, there were times when I kind of felt bad that I wasn’t pretty but being part of the top students of the class definitely boosted my confidence. So growing up, I continued studying well in order for me to produce good grades.
When people ask me why I’m grade conscious, I often put the blame on my parents since they were the ones who gave me the ‘top student mindset’ or whatever you call it. Yes, they did that, but it’s actually not their fault. I just remembered now that I was the one who told myself before that since I’m not pretty, I have to be smart and a good person.
Now, aside from being your typical girl who aims for As, I also try my best to lead and help others, I read and write, I go out with my friends, I learn different things online, I listen to all sorts of music, and more.
There’s still a lot of things I can improve on, but as of now, I’m quite happy to be the way that I am today.
So, do I still wish to be pretty at times? Yes.
Do I still feel bad that I wasn’t born pretty? No.