Prologue
Being unwell is not something you can control. Being something completely outside of your normal self, brings you down to your knees, and leaves you without hope. When I first got hospitalized, I can tell you right then, I was at my last straw. I’m writing this for those who will listen to my story and those living in a different reality. So much of our world is construed of lies, misogyny, and empty conversation, that is difficult to imagine a world where you can walk through life and leave unscathed. My name is Ale. Pronounced A-leh, not ale like beer. I am 20 years old, and I’ve been through what most have not. I have experienced the dark side of our government, of people, of our society, and have learned to live with the depths of agony that are my own, as well as learning to live with the agony I’ve seen in others. My story may amuse you, astound you, and mess you up, but it is one I want to share with you because I have nothing left but to share what I’ve survived. I hope that you will stick with me and hear what I have to say. What I may say might sound unbelievable, and it might end with me being discredited and mistaken for a lunatic due to my history of being in and out of mental institutions, yet my sanity lies in me sharing this. I hope you believe me. I’ve gone long enough with people calling me crazy, so much so that I’m starting to believe it myself. It’s been long since I’ve had a decent conversation with anyone, so I’ve taken to writing. Displaced in a system that wants to get rid of me gives me a lot to write about.
