Like all average high school students, I have my fair share of insecurities. I think I have a weird body shape. I think that I am not intelligent enough to be truly successful in college or the real world. At times, I even feel that I have no true friends and that no one in the world cares about me. Though I love many of the traits that I possess, the positive always seems to be outweighed by the negative. Why would I be so inclined to dwell on the negative when I love so many things about myself? Because I live in a society that is concerned about an idea of worth in the eyes of others. Society is constantly telling me that I am not good enough and that I do not fit in with everyone else. But one voice has risen above the incessant mutterings of society to show me that as long as I am happy with how I look and how I act, nothing else matters. That voice belongs to you, Andy Biersack.

All my life, I have tried to deal with my feelings of inadequacy, but nothing that I ever tried really worked. Every morning, I tried to smile at myself in the mirror and convince myself that I was beautiful, intelligent, and worth somebody’s time. Glancing over my outfit, I would whisper to myself “Today is going to be different. Today is the day that you prove everyone wrong,” only to have a sense of failure overtake me when I walked by anyone prettier, smarter, or more social than me at school. My life finally started to change when I started listening to music as an escape from the world. Punk rock music blared through my headphones, and each and every lyric voiced exactly what I felt at that moment. All Time Low’s “Therapy” explained to me that almost everyone plasters a fake smile onto his face in order to prove to the world that he is okay. Get Scared’s “Hurt” illustrated the concept that we all carry some kind of emotional baggage and have to learn how to deal with the past in order to move forward. I soon began spending the majority of my days searching for new music and new inspiration on the internet, and that is when Black Veil Brides finally came to my attention.

Immediately upon hearing the band’s music, I was hooked. Singles like “Never Give In” and “Set the World on Fire” would constantly play in my head during school, allowing me to slowly forget about all of my worries. Although the music is what initially captured my interest, I continued to listen to and support Black Veil Brides for the message it presented. Most of the fans consider themselves outcasts who do not have many friends at school and are bullied based on their appearance, and each and every member of the band was once that outcast and can now understand every emotion that his fans face on a daily basis. I do not consider myself one of the band’s typical fans, but I can still identify with the feelings of insecurity and inadequacy that each person in that fan base experiences. With Black Veil Brides, I found a community that understands me and can help me through even the darkest moments of my life.

Not only did I experience a sense of community within the Black Veil Brides family, but also a source of inspiration. Andy, your story gave me the courage to not care as much about what others think of me and instead focus on what I think of myself. You had used the stage name Andy Six for years as a sort of character to hide behind. He was like a different person in your mind, the person that you eventually wanted to become. Years later, you gave up the stage name and became Andy Biersack once again, but a new Andy that was comfortable in his own skin. Mocking words of bullies and contemptuous glances from others could no longer harm you, because you no longer cared what the rest of the world thought about your long, black hair or your tight leather jackets or even your KISS-style makeup. One day, I hope to become as comfortable with myself as you are now. Thanks to you, though, I am continually making progress, loving myself a little bit more each day as I persist through high school and begin to focus my attention on the future.

Due to the tremendous influence of music in my life, I am finally learning that the only opinion that I should care about in my life is my own. As long as I am content with who I am as a person, nothing else should matter. Even if society screams at me to dress, act, and talk like everyone else, I will stand my ground. I should never be forced to change for anyone, and no other person living in the world should change for the sake of others either. Of course, my change in attitude did not occur overnight. It took me years to grow more at ease with myself and let some of my insecurities fall by the wayside. Do not misunderstand me, there are still plenty of times in my life when I feel ugly or alone, but with each day I try to let the harsh words of society affect me less and less. Just as I have attempted, everyone should try to worry less about what society thinks and more about how he personally feels about himself. Only then can he be comfortable in his own skin.

Notes

That's it guys. I know it's short. If you have the time, please give me some feedback. The only thing I don't really want to hear about is my definition of "punk rock." I was making a general statement, and I find it frustrating when people argue over music genres. To me it's all rock and roll. Anyway, I would love to hear from any and all of you.