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Originally Posted by Pangloss62
I have a birth mark on my neck and on my left arm. To this day, grown men and women I don't even know get this really concerned look on their face, come right up to me and ask "What's wrong with your neck?" or "What happened to you?" It's happened so much in the past that I just take it in stride, but it strikes me as kinda rude.
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Funny you should say that - I have a condition known as
ptosis which means my left eyelid droops slightly. It wasn't handled particularly well by my Mother when I was younger, to the extent I saw it as a deformity and my throat closed up every time eyes, eyelids etc were mentioned. The first boy I dated told me I had beautiful eyes and I ran off in tears and was completely unable to explain myself.
It took til I was in my 30's to accept it and accept I'm normal. I can now answer intrusive questions, "Oh! What's wrong with your eye?!" quite calmly. "It's called ptosis, I was born with it" and sometimes, if I'm feeling vicious, "I prefer not to talk about it, thanks"
Anyway - the turning point for me was when I was considering surgery, believing it would change my life because I would finally be normal. The boyfriend of a beautiful friend of mine sat up all night with me talking, gently explaining to me that my slightly flawed face made me more interesting to interesting people. He also said that it had formed my character and I should therefore wear it as a badge of honour (and lots more compliments like that). It broke the dam - we went for a long walk as the sun came up and I cried my eyes out sitting on the park swings.
I wouldn't change it now.
And Shawnee123 - you're welcome
