Writer’s Fortnight – Talk One

‘Learning to have a brother who was once my sister’

This story was told by a teacher at our school, who once taught me. It was startling to know that this person had this sort of story in their family, as it’s not really the sort of thing that you’d simply expect. It’s not quite the norm. One thing he said (and I’m paraphrasing) was that he considered his brother brave for delving deep into his identity, as many people would simply say ‘This is just who I am.’ It made me wonder if anyone around me would undergo an experience like this at some point in their lives, whether personally, or with someone they’re close to. This thought was partially sparked by the story Ms Levy shared with us this Wednesday. I would never have looked at her and thought, ‘Oh, I’m certain that she once had an eating “disorder”.’ It was even said that someone in the room would likely experience a similar eating “disorder”. It’s just interesting to think about it. You really don’t have any idea who has what or who has done what until they tell you! This could be a possible story angle. ‘The stories we all hold’ or something, speaking of how much people really can surprise you.