I Gained 20,000 Followers on Medium In Less Than 19 Months
If an awkward, aspie, fat girl with no friends can be Medium famous, maybe you can do it too (if that’s something you want).
By Shannon Ashley
So, I’m kind of a weirdo.
I was never good at “winning friends” or “influencing people.” Back when I worked at Ecolab, Inc., you would never find me at a Toastmasters meeting.
Any time I ever tried to organize a party, get together, or charity drive, it was usually a bust. Or, at the very least, met with many eye rolls.
It’s never been too unusual for me to cycle through periods of having just a few friends at school or work, to having nobody.
There are legit reasons why I’m not what you would call a people person, (though to be fair, I’ve had my occasional phases as a social butterfly):
I’m an introvert (INFP)
I’m on the autism spectrum (and awkward)
I have borderline personality disorder in addition to depression and anxiety
I’m a single mom
I come from a dysfunctional family
I dropped out of college because I was nearly flunking out
At 37 years old, I’ve only had a driver’s license for 3 weeks
I have been deeply wounded by those I trusted the most
I am currently morbidly obese and suffer from PCOS and lipedema (aka painful fat syndrome), though I’ve lost over 100 pounds twice in my life
I tend to move in slow motion, not just because I think slowly, but also because I’m so damn clumsy
A hallmark of my life with BPD has been my habit of having these very grandiose visions which wind up with me flat on my face. I’ve had so much desire to transform my life, but all too often lack the knowledge or skill to see my plans through to fruition.