I wasn’t gifted. Mom was wrong. I was just smart and I worked hard. I had fooled myself into thinking that was something important to the rest of the world. Other people were complicit in this ruse. Nobody had told me I was common.

She doesn't want to end up like me. At least I'm giving someone an example not to follow.

And I could have died right then. And considering how things went, I really should have.

Of course I wasn't abused. If I were; things would be so simple. I'd have a reason to for being in a shrinks office. I'd have a justification and something to work on. The world wasn't going to give me something that tidy.

I don't know how I can be so ambitious and so lazy at the same time.

I wanted to tell people, "My depression is acting up today" as an excuse for not seeing them, but I never managed to pull it off.

And that was the closest I've ever come to an epiphany.