Dear Girl Sitting in the Corner,

I know we’ve never met, you probably don’t want to. But just know that I was once you. I once hated meeting new people and didn’t care about a social life. If I did ever go to a party, it was only to talk to my friends. I understand how you feel — alone, scared and wanting to leave. I understand that you don’t like the party people and you don’t really want to be here. I know every judgmental thought that is going through your mind right now.

And I just want to tell you it’s OK. You don’t have to be a partier or a rebel child. You can be anything you want to be. But don’t look at us weird just because we enjoy what you don’t. We were all you at one point in time — the shy kid that didn’t fit in. That guy dancing in the middle of the room with two pitchers of beer taped to his hands was a victim of bullying in high school. That girl making out with some random guy on the stairs goes to church every Sunday. The girls gossiping in the kitchen, cry themselves to sleep most nights because they don’t have any real friends. The kid passed out in the yard works two jobs to support his family.

So just because you sit in the corner and look at all of us doesn’t mean you’re better than us. You know nothing about us. You know nothing of our lives or what we are trying to forget every time we go out. You have no idea what most of these people go through, but that’s OK. We aren’t asking for your sympathy or pity. We don’t want you to even think about us in the morning. All we are trying to do every night is forget about the pain and hardships we face and have a little fun before reality takes over again.

And maybe your reality is better than ours. Maybe your life is perfect and you don’t need to forget about things, and that’s great! We are all happy for you. But don’t look down on us party people just because we are different.

Partying isn’t a way of life. For most of us, it’s an escape from reality.

Sincerely,