When you acknowledge that there is nothing repulsive or unforgivable or shameful about yourself, it becomes easier to be that authentic person and feel like you’re living a less performed life. -John Green on his website, johngreenbooks.com.
This quote relates to me personally because it is very important to find yourself and become comfortable with who you are. The best thing you can do for yourself is to forgive yourself. While John says he wasn’t a comfortable person when he was younger, he was able to find himself as he became older and began to accept himself as a person.
High School Life
Dear Nerdfighter,
I am very glad that you wrote to me. I always love answering fan mail. In your letter, you asked me about my life in high school. In high school, I was extremely nervous and awkward. I also smoked a lot, which was a habit it took me a while to break. I was bullied a lot in elementary and middle school, so I chose to go to a boarding school called Indian Springs School in Birmingham, Alabama for high school. It was one of the most important decisions in my life because I had many important life experiences there.
As a writer, I became more serious about writing as I got older. I really liked books from Gary Paulsen, Judy Blume, and Kurt Vonnegut. If anything, my dream to become an author started out by fantasizing more about the life of an author than actually being an author. Towards the end of high school, I wrote a book about a boy who had only ever read the Bible. My teachers supported me because they believed I had potential.
Over the course of my life, school was always hard for me because I was constantly bullied for being a nerd. I tried and tried to be cool, popular and well-liked, but my efforts were useless. I just found that I couldn’t embrace who I was, and it became harder as I became older. One of my hardest struggles was that while I was a nerd, I didn’t get straight-A’s, so I didn’t get to be known as the kid that was a genius. That’s why one of the most important times in my life was high school. I started to figure out who I was and ultimately learned how to become a better writer, which helped me in the future.
I appreciated answering your question and I hope that you continue to watch Vlogbrothers. Whatever you do, DFTBA!
Best wishes,
John Green
I am very glad that you wrote to me. I always love answering fan mail. In your letter, you asked me about my life in high school. In high school, I was extremely nervous and awkward. I also smoked a lot, which was a habit it took me a while to break. I was bullied a lot in elementary and middle school, so I chose to go to a boarding school called Indian Springs School in Birmingham, Alabama for high school. It was one of the most important decisions in my life because I had many important life experiences there.
As a writer, I became more serious about writing as I got older. I really liked books from Gary Paulsen, Judy Blume, and Kurt Vonnegut. If anything, my dream to become an author started out by fantasizing more about the life of an author than actually being an author. Towards the end of high school, I wrote a book about a boy who had only ever read the Bible. My teachers supported me because they believed I had potential.
Over the course of my life, school was always hard for me because I was constantly bullied for being a nerd. I tried and tried to be cool, popular and well-liked, but my efforts were useless. I just found that I couldn’t embrace who I was, and it became harder as I became older. One of my hardest struggles was that while I was a nerd, I didn’t get straight-A’s, so I didn’t get to be known as the kid that was a genius. That’s why one of the most important times in my life was high school. I started to figure out who I was and ultimately learned how to become a better writer, which helped me in the future.
I appreciated answering your question and I hope that you continue to watch Vlogbrothers. Whatever you do, DFTBA!
Best wishes,
John Green