What’s the bravest thing you’ve done this month? Did try to convince some fukboi that your £9.99 frontal was real? Maybe you stayed in your Black Panther screening even though you were the only white person there? Or did you manage to carry on with your life despite the efforts of the “beast from the east?”
I’m proud of you, really I am, but today’s blog is about being a little more brave – it’s about taking off your mask.
A few weeks ago, I attended a “brave talk”. Hidden off a side road, sandwiched between two churches is… another church! But Balham vineyard is not like any church I’ve ever seen. Strewn with fairy lights and ivy, it felt like I was at the wedding of a folk singer and a primary school teacher – stripped back and low key but reassuringly calming.
When I walked in, groups of women were mingling, catching up and getting their fill of prosecco, cheese and olives. Later, we were all asked to take a seat facing a stool and a mic.
The next 20 minutes were inspiring and astounding in equal measure. The host for the evening, Georgia Coy is the epitome of a brave woman. She took off her mask and told her life story in excruciating, embarrassing and admirable detail. From finding out her father was guilty of sex offences, to becoming the “other woman” in a relationship, Georgia’s life wouldn’t be out of place on Hollyoaks!
It was refreshing to see somebody tell their story, warts and all. This wasn’t a shaving advert where the model is completely hairless, nor was it a size 0 woman trying to convince me of the benefits of drinking flat tummy laxatives tea. No, this was a real woman, honestly admitting her flaws and taking us on her journey.
She inspired me to be brave – with myself, with others and with God. that’s why I chose this picture to be my featured image. I have avoided looking at this person for over a decade. The girl in that picture fills me with shame because she wasn’t brave, she wasn’t happy, she wasn’t pretty she was bullied. I look at that picture and it reminds me of everything I have tried to run away from. The truth is, running is fruitless. To truly grow, I need to embrace that girl and her vulnerabilities because she is a part of me.
So my brave act for this week, is to take off my mask and show my vulnerability. I hope you can take off a bit of your mask too. And remember to lift others up and show them how beautiful and human their flaws really are.
God Bless x
Girl Unleeshed 