in response to my last post, i got dozens of texts and dms from people telling me that they, too, have felt the same way i was feeling. & man, when one of my best friends admitted that she was one of them, you best believe i was SHOOK. like how could i go years without having any idea that she felt this way. i guess it’s not surprising, though. who wants to announce their struggles and insecurities? we fear that people will think we’re strange or that they won’t want to be bothered with our problems. but that is the problem.
a few months ago i wrote a post about sex & so many people told me how ballsy it was. but i dont see it like that. it’s something that we need to bring up (just maybe not at the dinner table). think about it, it’s rammed down our throats in the media, yet we’re shamed for it. whats up with that? i mean, thanks to every HBO series we all know what a threesome is, but god forbid someone say vagina!
i have also brought up my experience with bullying. one guy said ‘bro, i don’t think that’s something i could admit to people.’ but, we’ve all experienced it, so why not talk about it. it’s the only way we can fix the problem.
i think that if we are willing to bring up topics that are “taboo,” we’ll find that we’re not the only ones facing them. look at the LGBT community. once people started proudly coming out, it encouraged others to do the same. knowing that we’re not alone is so powerful. & talking about those uncomfortable topics allows us to correct misconceptions, realize that we’re not alone, and encourage others to open up.
so, guys, talk about the time you cried after watching ‘saving private ryan,’ ‘forest gump,’ or ‘toy story 3.’ girls, talk to your friends about how you’ve felt pressured to go to second base (when you weren’t even sure you were ready for first). proudly, bring up your weird habits, like eating poptarts in the shower (i’m prolly the only one that does this, but y’all are missing out). regardless of what it is, let’s get talking!
