Meet Me On The Inside...

“I guess it's hard for some people who are used to things the way they are, even if they are bad, to change because I guess they kinda give up …and when they do, everybody kinda loses." ~ Trevor McKinney - Pay It Forward

Turn on the television and there is someone somewhere judging someone else. It happens on Phineas and Ferb and iCarly. It happens during the race for Governor and on TLC’s What Not To Wear. And don’t get me started on how cruel the judges on American Idol can be.

What seems "harmless" is teaching you that the judgements of others actually MEAN something. What you are learning as "harmless" can scar your gentle psyche and change who you believe you are destined to be. As a former teacher, I have seen that crushing blow in the eyes of child all too many times. Words can cut. They have more power than we should be trusted with sometimes.

 That is why I had to write this book.

MEET ME ON THE INSIDE is a book that uses the words of REAL teen girls from around the country. These words are raw and honest and they compare what you see on the outside and what you would see if you took the time to meet someone on the INSIDE! Each girl reveals what she thinks you see and what she wishes you knew. The words are sometimes beautiful, some are silly and some will make you cry.

It is no secret how much worth is placed on outward appearance. If you are too quiet, too short, too friendly, too artsy, too studious, too stupid or too much like someone else then you are fair game to be judged.

I have done a lot of soul searching to try to put my finger on how to get what is in my heart onto paper and into a child’s hands. Hands that are still being held. I want empowering words streaming into a child’s mind. A mind that is still too young to judge.

What I came up with was that NO words I could come up with would do the trick, I needed to words of real teen girls to get this job done.

Then I saw the beauty in giving other girls the opportunity to illustrate someone else's words. I thought it  would be a beautiful juxtaposition of today's teen culture.

I want to bring the messages from these girls to every school in America. I want to look into the eyes of the students I read this book to and let them see the honesty and passion from the hearts of teens JUST like them. I want to turn on the news and NOT see another suicide or act of violence that was committed because someone was made to feel small and worthless.

 

This is my dream. This is the dream of the girls who submitted their words and artwork to this project.

Thank you girls!