Okay, so a few of you know who she is, but if you dont listen to this amazing story about a girl who turned her whole life around by becoming healthy.
As a kid Taralynn's family was in the military, causing them to move alot. For most this would bother them, but not taralynn she found it exciting. As a kid she loved outgoing, loved playing outside, doing gymnastics, going to the park, dancing, biking, and just being a kid. At the time ( five years old ) she lived in Hawaii and was very content. She explains her childhood as probably the highlights of her life.
Then her whole world changed when her father retired from the navy, after twenty seven years of service. She was crushed to realize she was moving back to the mainlands. She remembers kicking and screaming when the for-sale sign came down. She expalins that not only were they moving to the mainlands, but to iowa, but that it was the worst time for her. The family had decided to move back because her mom used to live there before the navy and her grandfather had lung cancer and needed to be taken care of. Even though it was a rough patch in her life she was greatful for the time she got to spend with her grandfather.
When she came to iowa to start school it was much different then back home. Many of the kids treated her differently and there was no welcoming for her. She started to think there was a problem with her, and not the kids.
In fourth grade she was teased alot. Kids making fun of your clothes, criticizing the way she talked, and just being cruel. She found herself very unhappy then, a kid who loved being outdoors and playing, was found being depressed and more likely to spend her time watching tv all day. As a kid she did get out, some kids invited her to birthday parties, but all she remembers was people whispering things about her and excluding her. She sates that she would go home from the parties not glad she went, but crying. She believed again, she was the problem. She now looks back knowing it wasn't her, but it still hurts her. Kids tend to pick on one target and try to break them down, she was that girl.
As a elementary student she found her self wanting to commit suicide. She was only in fifth grade when she thought about the idea of escaping the cruelty. That night she talked her parents and had a long talk about everything that had been going on and how she felt. She begged to be home schooled, but they thought of that as giving up, so they tried helping her through it. They gave her pep talks when she was having trouble and she said that it really helped her and made her stronger.
During middle school she had extreme anxiety. The summer before middle school she somewhat ate her emotions away and became unhealthy and didnt exercise. Going through summer with no friends made her very depressed and entering a bigger school with more kids made her extremely nervous. Her parents didnt find it a problem because every kid went through a ' chubby stage '. She found her parents were right. Seventh grade gave her new meaning with some new great friends. She turned it around by playing basketball, volleyball, theather, music, and softball. Her childhood trauma started to go away little by little with her new life.
Having new friends made it hard though. Birthday parties meant cake, having sleepovers meant takeout and all the junk food you can have, even making the wrong cafeteria foods because you wanted to stay in line with friends. Soon enough it was like summer all over again. When she started high school she didnt like what her appearance was.
Her anxiety went up even more during her high school years. Going to high school meant a new start for her. She was dropped off at the mall by her mom to get new clothes and a new style with a purse full of money. She tried on all the cutest clothes, and went to all of her favorite stores. Three hours later she had her mom pick her up.
She sat in the car empty handed, not one of the items she put on fit her. Her mom knew what the problem was, so no words were exchanged. It broke her down, it was the final straw, she had to change. She though t to herself how could i end up like this and allow it, while tears streamed down her face. Her mom then pulled over at a park, and had a long walk and talk about changing her eating habits and becoming healthy.
She went into high school, through those bid double doors and noticed that all the girls were wearing short jean shorts, tiny and fitted tank tops, and summer dresses. While she was wearing a baggy t-shirt, some sweats and noticed her pale arms from the lack of sunlight. She was so scared of what others would think of her. She was really depressed, being surrounded by all these girls who could eat whatever they wanted and still look thin. She later went to the doctor who said everything was fine, she continued eating healthy anyways.
Every time she ate something unhealthy she said the old, " im going to start my diet tomorrow ". She knew her friends were beside her and wouldn't leave because of ones appearance so she worried less.
She then quit sports because she wanted to devote 100% of her time on well, her. Theater and music became a priority for her, and she loved more than anything else in the world. Her talents started to show.
She then was hanging out with friends more. One thing she wished she changed about herself was her drinking habits. Almost everyone makes one major mistake through high school, and this was hers. She hated the hangover feeling and repeated feeling through out her junior year.
Then one morning she woke up to her first day of high school. Then she looked at pictures and saw her weight change. She remembered the promise she made after sitting in the car empty handed.She decided to go healthy and stop drinking, she lost alot of friends over it, but her health was more important, if they couldn't except that they weren't her friends. She was done with being the girl with the pretty face and the best friend of the skinny girl.
She started back in theater when she landed the lead role of ' the dark moon '. The audience was amazed at how powerful and amazing she was on stage but said she was ' too big ' to be playing that role. Her stomach dropped during the review. She then went back to the dressing room and took a long shower, fully clothed. She was embarrassed and felt like a failure.
She then took a break from theater, to be involved in music and a band. Soon she fell for the drummer in her band. She was shocked to find he liked her too. They started dating, but there relationship became distant, so they split up. She then went to prom with a friend.
Soon graduation day came along, finally she could get out of high school. On graduation rehearsal day she went to her gym class like always but she had no idea what was about to come. She went to the mirror to put her contacts on, then her eyes started burning. She said it felt like needles were poking her eyes. No one stopped to help her or seem like they cared. She heard in the distance laughter. She later found her perfume leaked in her contacts case. She went home feeling sad and then noticed a note left in her bag, saying " I hope your eyes still hurt, now you know how we feel when you change in front of us ". How cruel. She knew exactly who it was too. She crawled into her bed not wanting to get up for school the next day. She woke up to get her diploma that day for her parents, and never looked back.
After graduation she had no friends left. Her ex had moved on. He was texting her as if he wanted to get back with her when he was already dating someone else, she found out. She had had it, she grabbed her ipod and went out for a jog, she came back feeling relived.She then hung out with her mom for the rest of the day, she forgot how much she missed doing the things she used to do with her family and herself.
Then her ex got back together with her. It was a bad relationship. He attacked her emotionally and became too involved in her life. She became healthy and thin, he felt insecure about his own body image and took it out on her. And blamed her for many things that had nothing to do with her. He then made rules for her about their relationship. Like no wearing makeup, or contacts, if another guy said hi he would squeeze her hand so tightly that she wanted to scream. He even punched her windshield because he thought she was hiding something from her because her phone was dead. It was unhealthy he became more angry while she became more weak, but she want gong to change fore him and she wasn't going to take anything from him.
He then cheated on her, she found that as a great way to break up with him without him getting angry, so she did and she was tired of loving him and getting nothing in return. He gave her a black eye! She then told her parents , had her phone number changed and her father let him now what would happen if he ever tried to contact her again.
A month later she got a job working at the beach in hampton, ny. She remembers that as the best summer of her life. She loved it. To this day she goes there every summer. And made life lasting friends. She continued eating healthy that summer and lived in ny. She kept healthy eating, good relationship, School and Work a major priority. She then found a love for photography and cooking and helping others, and what better way to do it then through a blog. so she made Undressedskeleton.tumblr.com and soon became an inspiration for many women.
Today she has a loving boyfriend and a new outlook on life. Shes a huge inspiration and i can relate to her in MANY ways. she holds hope for the future, in writing a book, possibly owning a cafe and becoming a cupcake artist. She is amazing you must read her blog.
Bye xx Hannah xx @thisgirlisonfire
