Reflection On Degrassi

At age four, I was told I was fine, despite the fact that my ankle was blue and sprained from jumping on the trampoline. When I was twelve, I was told to sit in the bathroom stall at my grandpa’s funeral until I was done crying. At thirteen, I was informed, my eating disorder shall be kept a secret. That I need to deal with whatever was going on in my head, but not to let it impact those around me.
I grew up in a supportive family nonetheless but one that perceives emotions as a sign of weakness. However at age thirteen, art entirely transformed my thinking.
Through the agency Book it Talent, I was hired as a background actor for an episode of the television series, Degrassi. For one scene, the main character, Zoe angrily smashed her laptop after watching a disreputable video that news reporters had created about her. I remember being so shocked at her public outrage on campus that I began to follow the series when I got home.
From someone who felt the constant pressure to be stoic, it was comforting to realize throughout viewing that we’re all human, we all face problems and we’re allowed to feel the way we feel.
Even though the characters are make believe, I realized through their actions that in reality, strength is not found in those who never fail but those who embrace the journey they are currently on while working towards improvement.
This newly adopted belief became my source of inspiration to embrace emotions and spark conversation about mental health thus leading to a play I wrote called Fool’s