I am here.
I am beautiful.
I am perfect in every way.
I am cold.
I am hungry.
I am a good girl.
I am a handful.
I am quiet.
I am too quiet.
I am too little.
I am too old.
I am not allowed.
I am just like my brother.
I am lazy.
I am incompetent.
I am a tattletale.
I am just like my sister.
I am a nuisance.
I am a pain in your butt.
I am a mistake.
I am a disappointment.
I am interrupting your show.
I am a natural.
I am making you proud.
I am your favorite.
I am getting chubby.
I am costing you more money.
I am an embarrassment.
I am greasy.
I am dirty.
I am gross.
I am tough.
I am strong.
I am not like other girls.
I am clumsy.
I am weak.
I am last.
I am smart.
I am full of potential.
I am not reaching my potential.
I am not pretty enough for him.
I am not as skinny as her.
I am too smart for my own good.
I am getting fat.
I am eating too much.
I am destined to never get a boyfriend.
I am somebody’s girlfriend.
I am loved.
I am cherished.
I am nice and supportive.
I am so smart, so good, so beautiful, so sexy, and so gorgeous.
I am sheltered.
I am dumb.
I am not worth speaking to.
I am not allowed to say no.
I am used.
I am damaged goods.
…
…
I am still fat.
I am too fat for your brother.
I am not good enough for your son.
I am immature.
I am too loud.
I am too scandalous.
I am understood.
I am not a bad person.
I am a bit high maintenance.
I am insecure.
I am full of myself.
I am weird.
I am so fat.
I am starting to look good.
I am getting there.
I am just right.
I am too skinny.
I am making you look bad.
I am starting to lose it.
I am not consistent enough.
I am setting a bad example.
I am angry.
I am confused.
I am short-fused.
I am the best.
I am the worst.
I am so thoughtful.
I am not a good person.
I am so funny.
I am in a dark place.
I have been in a dark place for so long.
I am human.
I am capable.
I am worthy of love.
I am in progress.
I am not defined by you.
This article was the third-place adult winner in the Exploring Identity writing contest, part of the 2025 Salem Reads: One Book, One Community program, which delved into the themes of Why Didn't You Tell Me? A Memoir by Carmen Rita Wong. The contest invited writers, in short story or personal essay form, to explore how identity has impacted them.