We all have a different personality around different people. My high school peers, family, friends, college friends, and even teachers see me as one person- but that's not who I am.

I’m wearing a mask. At some point in everyone’s life, they wear a mask, and I’m wearing mine. I let you see what I want you to see and it’s not until I get home that I can take that mask off, and even then, I need have it ready at a moment’s notice.

My high school peers made judgements on me that were never true, because they chose to see that. They thought that I didn’t work for anything, that everything was just handed to me, but they didn’t know that I could hardly make it through the day.

My family thinks I have my life together. They think that I’m going through school just fine, no problems, and that I’m living the perfect life. One of my family members thinks that life was handed to me on a silver platter- but little do they know, I’ve only let them see what I wanted them to see.

My friends expect me to be happy, perky, always there for them, and non-judgmental. They see me to be a leader, someone to come to when things are falling apart, and someone to have fun with. I’m glad I can play all those roles in their life, but I never let them see the real me- at least not completely.

My teachers and professors see me as studious and driven. They don’t think their deadlines or comments make me feel upset with myself, but they do.

All of these people play different roles in my life, but they need to understand that the person I let you see isn’t the real me. My life isn’t perfect, I wasn’t handed everything in my life, I’ve had to work for it. I’ve had a job every single summer for spending money throughout the year, I don’t ask my parents for money. I worked hard in school, I didn’t get what I wanted because I was the teacher’s pet. I’m struggling with what I want to do with my life, and hearing what other people think I should be isn’t helping me.

I need people to be there for me, just to listen. I want to show them the real me, but I’m afraid of judgments passed on me. I don’t want people to tell me what they think of me. I don’t want people to try to control my life. I don’t want me people to see the person I let them see, I want them to see the real me. I need people to keep an open mind and to understand that I’m struggling. I need them to just listen to my problems and to try to understand where I’m coming from.

I want to show them the real me, I want to take my masks off, I just need them to keep an open mind.