At an early age I learned that God created me different from everyone else. What made me different was my visual flaw, when everyone saw me they saw my flaw. I’m opening a wound that has healed, but it’s my story.
Imagine being singled out by another eight year old because your skin was different from theirs, no one wanting to stand by you, or even be your friend because you were born different. Can we say self esteem issues?
I was just a kid that wanted to be accepted. From childhood to becoming a teenager I was a very insecure ; most didn’t know but I was. An uneasy feeling of someone staring at you; asking the same redundant question. “What happened to your skin?” Most would answer the question before I had a chance to respond and say “did you get burned?” I would simply respond and say yes, because it was easier to say YES instead of living in my truth . Ignorance is bliss most say, but I have to take some ownership in the story behind my skin.
I was afraid for people to accept me and my flaw because I was afraid to come out of the dark and live in my truth. I have eczema and have lived with it my entire life, now it’s turning into vitiligo where the skin depigmentates . I accepted that I was different but it was still hard to cope with at times. Until one day I was sitting talking to my grandmother and she said…
“God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27.
In that moment I realized that I am special and I was brought into this world to be different and to lead by example (natural born LEADER).
“For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face” Psalm 11:7.
No matter how some may perceive you, live in your truth accept who you are and own IT. Why be a copy when God created you as an original? I’m a limited edition you’re a limited edition there is only one YOU. I’m a flawed human being who accepts why I was chosen to deliver a message by having a visual flaw. All the being picked on, talked about, stared at gave me confidence out of this WORLD. My skin is my fashion, my billboard, my story, and it’s Yatta Montrell. I hope my billboard inspires you, because it inspires me daily . Be blessed!
“Whoever debases others is debasing himself” `James Baldwin
