When I was in 10th grade in the dark ages of 1991, I rode the bus to school. There was a girl who often sat in my area (and I sat wherever I could turn invisible, because that was one scary ride, let me tell ya) and I remember people saying that she ate dog food. She was a less-attractive girl who I'm sure had a less-than-easy life, and she didn't appear to have many friends. I remember kids would bark at her, and she would just seem to ignore them. Why am I writing about her? Because I saw her this evening at the grocery store, and my first thought was dog food. I was sad and angry at myself for letting that thought creep back into my brain. How awful. Almost 20 years later, and that's how I remember her. I wasn't the kid barking at her, but I also wasn't the kid telling people to stop. People always ask each other about life regrets, and that's one of my biggest ones. Not just for her, but for not being a voice for anyone who might've been barked at in their own way. I wasn't exactly a voice for myself, but I know I could've been a bigger voice for others. I don't even know why I'm typing about this, because it's a far cry from Hollywood, but maybe it's my own way of apologizing. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will break my heart.
