This week I'd like you to meet Johann, welcome and thank you for joining my project!
"Owning your scars is so empowering and underrated. Even though mine is visible to almost no one, I did spend a few years struggling with the fact that, due to a scoliosis operation, I have a long thin mark across my spine. I underwent surgery on my 16th birthday, a time when my confidence was non-existent for many reasons, including my uncertainties surrounding sexuality. Even though my scoliosis scar was probably the least of my worries when it came to coming out, being able to own my scar and what I had gone through definitely helped me in being strong enough to face it. Having the most supportive parents, friends and partner I could ever ask for made it all so much easier, but I don’t know if I would have ever taken the step to come out with as much determination and certainty as I did if I hadn’t conquered my scoliosis. From getting very red-faced for no reason, to consciously arranging my hair because I always think it looks terrible, I still have other issues with the way I look and how others judge my appearance, just like anyone else in our superficial society. But now I’m definitely happier with myself and my body, because I know that it is just a shell honing the person I truly am."
- Johann