Growing up ... (continued)

... Another reason for me loving the holidays is that I am a New Years baby born on January 1, 1971!  I love the fact that I am born on that day.  My birthday was always a big deal to my mom and my family.  Mom would always have the best parties for me, BUT the only thing I did not like was that I had to share that special day with two of my grandma's.  Now when you are a little boy and it comes time to celebrate your special day, well, let's just say, I wanted ALL the attention!  It was fun though with my grandma's I do have to admit, who we all celebrated within a day apart from each other. 

Growing up wasn't all fun and games though.  All through Elementary and Junior High School, I was always teased and made fun of.  See, I was a very fat child growing up, well maybe not "really" fat, but kids can be so cruel at that young age and let me tell you, I did suffer a lot.  I didn't have any friends during elementary and I remember during recess, I would always just hang out with the playground teacher and visit with her.  I remember a saying that I still use today, which is also know as the Golden Rule:

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

She was so sweet and kind.   I had a friend I grew up with who my mom would babysit.  We were the same age and both Italian, and hung out all the time when we were not at school, but when we were at school, he would always make fun of me and follow the popular kids and tease me, but always so different when we were just us and the other kids in the neighborhood.  As I moved onto Junior High, it was no different.  It was also the first time I was with other kids who did not look like me, and I mean who were black or Hispanic.  I was the minority and anything I did, for example I LOVED Michael Jackson, and I was a good drawer, I would always draw portraits of him and I remember their was an artist contest in school and they hung our stuff in the hallways and I put one of my pieces of Micheal Jackson in the contest and was teased for trying to be a part of the "black kids".  Someone ended up ruining my portrait of him, which broke my heart.  I could not believe how people could be so cruel when I was not raised to be racist at all and just put me in tears. I hated school! Trying to fit in or to be liked by people was not my intention, I just wanted to be myself and just be liked, and just get through school and that seemed too impossible and I became even more shy and more of an introvert, sometimes coming home crying.  I believe I suffer from some of that today, especially now living in Los Angeles.  People here are so fake and given the chance, they will tear you down behind your back but come and be your best friend to your face.