Who I was, not who I am

My name was Teresa Osborne. Today I go by a different name, but to maintain a tiny bit of privacy, I'll keep that to myself.

I was born in the early 70's in Scarborough, Ontario. We lived there only a short time before moving to Oakville, and then to Burlington when I was 5. I had a fairly normal childhood. I grew up in a middle class neighbourhood, lived with both my parents and my older brother, walked to school everyday, and played with the kids on my street.

I wasn't the most popular kid in school. I was a tall skinny kid, wasn't very good at sports, and I was a bit goofy. That is, until I went to high school and things began to change. That is when this story starts.

I am now the mother of a teenage boy. Watching what he is going through in life right now, the changes he is experiencing, the friendships he is making, reminds me of being 15. It has brought to the surface things I have not thought of in years.

I lead a very interesting life in the 10 years between 13 and 23. There were things I did that I would love to do again, and some that I am not too proud of. I knew some amazing people, many of whom I loved very deeply, and who had a profound effect on shaping who I am today.

Some may wonder why I would put all this out there for the world to read. There are many things I did that most people would want to hide away and never speak of again. But I refuse to be ashamed of my past. It is what I was, not necessarily who I am. And I am proud of who I have become.

There are moments in my past that I have had a hard time reconciling. I know that writing has always been therapeutic for me, and I hope writing about these things will help me let go of some of the pain I still feel. I likely will not post everything to be read by all, but I will post most entries. I hope people will be able to read some of it and find a way to relate, and enjoy what I have shared.

And finally, I do have one other motive for creating this blog. I hung around with an awesome group of people when I was a teen, and except for one or two, I know little or nothing of them now. I will use some of the names when I am writing, and perhaps some day this will help me find a way to reconnect. I would love it if anyone who reads this, who may of knew me, or any of the people I write about would leave me a comment, or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.