Carrie Underwood and I have something in common. No, it's not an amazing voice, because I sound like a dying cow when I sing.

We were both made fun of as kids for having freckles, and then had them removed when we became adults. Carrie was recently interviewed by People and she spoke candidly about all the things she disliked about herself when she was a teen. She told the magazine she was teased at school, because the freckles were in the exact same spot on both of her cheeks.

I remember those jeers very vividly. I was called "ugly" and "funny face." Some kids at my school were even more hurtful, asking me why I had "s**t on my face." When I was old enough to get a job, I saved every penny with one goal in mind: I was going to have the ugliness removed from my face. I had several laser treatments and wear sunscreen religiously, because I do not want the freckles to ever come back.

I don't have a picture of myself as a teen, because I avoided cameras like they were the plague. Thank goodness the selfie craze came later in my life. Now, I'm in a business where I'm highly visible and all over social media.

Do I regret my decision? Absolutely not. It was a good investment, because it made me feel better. I felt more confident about my looks after the freckles were removed, and I stopped hiding my face from the world. As for the kids who heckled me? Well, I also developed thicker skin as I got older. Words only hurt if you believe them. I don't let other people's nastiness and negativity into my mind, anymore.

 

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