This is me

This little girl in the picture is me, age almost 2; cute, isn’t it? Still naive, still curious, not knowing what evils this world has to offer.

Growing up wasn’t easy. I grow up in a very poor family, living in the outskirts of a middle class neighbourhood. Being poor is not just being constantly hungry (which I sometimes was), or have to work in order to provide at a very young age (which I did). It also means you get constantly laughed about; your clothes are not as trendy, your pencil case is not as shiny, and you certainly can’t afford perks such as going out for an all-class movie and hamburger.?

If being poor wasn’t enough, I was also smart. Super smart. That’s usually also mean super weird, which I defiantly was (and some will say still am). The result is one. Social isolation, and a lot of heartbreaks, especially when reading not age appropriate fantasy books and dreaming about a different future, preferably in a different universe.?

I didn’t mind being isolated; I found no interest in kids my age. They were boring, talking about things like cable shows (I didn’t have cables), or new shoes (which I couldn’t afford).?

The problem started when I was started to get bullied.?

You see, a super nerd which is also a super poor kid is an easy target. It began with small things, a classmate calling me to ask for a date, and then laughing “we just tricked you” in the day after, kids laughing at you that you’re probably dirty because your clothes are not as new as theirs. No biggie.?

But then it turned biggie, mucho biggie. When my father (by then he wasn’t even living with us), was in debts to an associate of his, her daughter printed photos of him with the title “Noa’s father is a thief”, and hanged it all over school.?

One day, when I decided to go out play with some classmates in the sands, a young man from our neighbourhood asked me to accompany him. He was a cool guy, so off I went. None of the other kids though they should come along. I was an easy target, and from that day on, I was super smart, super poor, and super traumatised, combo that means, well, more isolation, than more vulnerability, and it’s a circle you can’t really break.?

Only that you can.

And I did.

It wasn’t easy. Truth to be said, it was really hard. Sometimes it still is. You can’t forget who you were, you can just try to create the best version of yourself.

I came out of the closet. I left home. I went to psychotherapy. I went to university (without a dime in my pocket, and debts to cover that were not even my own, but I did it). I got myself cool job, then another one, then some more. I’ve created a beautiful family. I mentored and still mentoring many women (ok, also some men), trying to make progress in hi-tech in general, product and data in particular.?

I have two amazing girls, and a not less of an amazing partner. I have great friends, and I’m always happy to meet some more. Going through this life journey taught me that when you see a spark in someones heart, just go for it, be their friend. I do it shamelessly.?

I have a dream job, managing the most talented women I’ve ever met, working side-by-side with extremely bright colleagues.?

I’m still super smart, but where I work that’s the standard. I’m not even close to being poor. I’m still weird I guess, but in a good way.

I have bad days, I have good days, sometimes the memories are drowning me, but I’ll always get up. All in all, I have a great life. This little girl in the picture? That’s me, almost 2, still cute. I think she would like me.

-----

Inspiring Girls International has launched a new global campaign to make women role models easily available to girls on social media. Share your post between 13th September - 11th October 2021 in the lead up to the International Day of the Girl 2021 to shine a light on female role models and encourage girls to follow a range of inspiring women.?#thislittlegirlisme