11 Comments
User's avatar
aidan o'loughlin's avatar

the list of things to remember if you don't wanna be yourself hit incredibly hard hahaha

Grace McClure's avatar

Nickelback 2026?

aidan o'loughlin's avatar

a shiver just went down my spine

darina's avatar

"criticism is not a character flaw, it's proof of life"

i've been called nice as a main descriptor and now i need to lie down and think about it hahah

Grace McClure's avatar

I have too, but for me, as a naturally polarizing person, it’s usually when I’m uncomfortable or not being my true self 😂

From the Shore You Cannot See's avatar

This hit hard, especially the idea that “nice” can become a disguise. There’s such a quiet pressure to smooth edges instead of sharpening them. I love the reminder that criticism isn’t necessarily a red flag, sometimes it’s proof that we’ve stopped shrinking. Thank you for writing this with both humor and "bite"..

Grace McClure's avatar

Thank you for the thoughtful note. I truly believe that being disliked by some is proof that we’re being ourselves and not catering (which sucks up too much precious energy).

Caroline's avatar

Long gone are the days where a middle aged man tells me to smile when my RBF is JUST FINE, THANK YOU.

Thank you for reminding us to be extra, spicy and authentically ourselves.

Grace McClure's avatar

We won’t smile at you SIR- but we will talk shit about you. Thanks for the thoughtful comment xo

Caitlin A. Smith's avatar

Really enjoyed this

Grace McClure's avatar

Thank you! It was a fun one to write.