When I said, 'a lot of people', I should have just said everyoneExbando wrote: And I would gladly accept that hug/pat on the head(assuming I am one of the ones you would like to).
After reading through what I just typed, this sounds arrogant for some reason. I apologize if it does, I'm just bad with words.
@Shilver
I think it goes without saying that a lot of the posts in this thread are going to be a little longer than usual. That's not a bad thing, mind you, just that you shouldn't apologize over it. The way you describe your life, it kinda reminds me of my own. I never had any serious bullying issues and it wasn't a terrible experience overall. I never moved when I was growing up though. Like you, I had a few friends who got into smoking pot around the middle school years and it bothered me quite a bit. I eventually tried it just to sate my curiosity but that wasn't until much later, and it was a one-time deal. This is gonna sound super-cliché, and you'll have to forgive my pretentiousness: don't let one girl be the reason you distrust women. I think you know that not all of them are going to be like that though, so I won't press you any further about it.
I still don't know where to start in terms of what I'd like to share even though it's nothing really amazing, but reading through this does help me to strengthen my resolve and is all too clear of a reminder that I should never give up, and neither should any of you.