I used to dislike cold weather and rain when I was younger. It made everything such a hassle: getting picked up from school where the roads would flood, ruining clothes, not being able to play outside. It did provide the chance to replace curriculum with movie days at school sometimes. But now, I’ve grown to love and appreciate the rain. Mainly because California definitely needs it, but there are few more personal reasons.

I always get cold easily, so I used to really enjoy warm/hot weather because I would never get cold during the summers. Now, it’s quite the opposite. It’s always so warm now, but with my still-healing scars, I can’t bare my skin like I used to. I invite the cold weather now because I can wear long sleeves and coats without worrying about my scars being exposed. When it’s cold and rains, I don’t have to worry about being too hot or just suffering silently in a long-sleeved shirt.

I’m much less self-conscious about people looking at my scars or being repulsed by them, I’m more worried about them healing and being exposed to too much UV.

I do keep my scars covered at work, but I’m also not afraid to show them if it comes down to it. A coworker did ask me once why I was wearing compression sleeves with a short-sleeved shirt, and luckily(?) my tendonitis was also flaring up at that time, so I used the excuse of that; but the real reason was to cover my scars. It is nobody’s business but my own, but I’m also not ashamed or scared about my scars and how I got them. It’s a part of my life, but as much as I feel it’s important to say my part, I’m not one too purposefully attract attention by flaunting my scars. I actually hate being the center of attention, but I do relish in the attention of specific people that I trust and care about.