I Am Auggie

My youngest daughter and I have been reading the book Wonder by R.J. PalacioWonder is about a ten-year-old boy whose nickname is Auggie. As a result of a facial deformity he was born with, Auggie struggles with going to school and making friends.

This morning as we were reading, I was overcome with emotion.

Unable to hide the sound of my cracking voice while reading, I simply told my daughter that it made me so sad to see how mean children could be to one another. I wasn’t quite sure I could share my memory without making her think I had completely gone off the deep end. I was not ready to tell her that there was a time in my life when I, too, was Auggie.

In grade school, I decided I wanted to run for class office. As part of my bid for office, I had to make a speech, in the school auditorium, in front of the entire school.

My fear of public speaking made me pause for a second and question whether or not I really wanted to do this. Hating to be paralyzed by fear, I knew I had no other choice but to do it! So, on speech day, I put all of my fear in a safe place, tucked away so that I could move forward, walked on the stage, and delivered an “Obama style” speech (Okay, maybe I am stretching it when I say “Obama style” :-)). Unfortunately, my winning speech did not lead to victory for me, but I was still happy that I forced myself to get up and speak in front of the entire school.

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Following my speech, relieved that it was over, I went outside to enjoy recess with the other kids. As we were playing, one of my friends casually shared that one of the teachers she was sitting next to made the following comment when I got on the stage to make my speech, “I don’t know why she would get up on that stage, in front of all of these people, looking like that.” 

This teacher’s comment had nothing to do with how I was dressed or the hairstyle I had chosen for this very important event. She said this because I dared to put my vitiligo on display in front of the entire school. Something that I had absolutely no control over. (Vitiligo is a condition in which certain areas of the skin lose their pigment cells, causing white patches where the pigment cells are lost).

I believe, in hindsight, that my friend was totally shocked to hear an adult say out loud what many were probably thinking. 

In their minds, I was supposed to shrink into the shadows because I was a young child who had “two-toned skin” over most of her body. Or, as my peers used to say, I looked like a zebra. Fortunately, as much as others tried to make me shrink into the shadows, I had a mother that was just as determined that I would not. It was my mother’s grit and determination that forced me to deal with my fear head -on.

To say that my mother was livid when I shared the teacher’s comments is an understatement.

She spent all of the time she could spare trying to build my self-esteem and make sure that I did not shrink into the shadows. A comment like this from a student was one thing. She could brush it off as sheer ignorance on the kid’s part. But for an adult to say this out loud, amongst young impressionable minds, was something beyond my mother’s comprehension. Not to mention the fact that this painful comment had made its way back to her little girl.

The following day my mother marched to that school and demanded a meeting with the principal and the teacher.

Not sure what result we were expecting, we were shocked to learn that the teacher adamantly denied making this statement. The principal, deciding to side with the teacher, bought my friend into the office with the goal of making her admit that she had, in fact, lied on the teacher. Exhibiting strength that I do not even know that I would have been capable of at that age, my friend maintained her position that the teacher did, in fact, make these comments. As a result of her unwillingness to change her story, my friend was paddled by the principal.

I saw that teacher many times after that event. Her inability to ever look me in the eye spoke volumes to me. It also solidified my belief that my friend was wrongfully punished.

It is funny how certain events can bring back memories that we work so hard to put out of our minds. It is also funny how certain events, many times unbeknownst to us, help form the person we become as adults. As an adult, I chose to become a litigator. My career requires me to stand up and advocate publicly for others on a regular basis. I guess I am still not willing to shrink into the shadows.

As we finish Wonder, it is my hope that the book teaches my daughter some compassion when it comes to others that may be “different”. And that rather than join in the ranks of children that spew cruel words, she will become that child that says that such behavior is not okay. If Wonder doesn’t inspire her, I hope that I do!

Much love,

Tonza

P.S. That is my strong mother and my teenage daughter in my featured image. My mother still has the same grit and determination that she had when I was a little girl. Thankfully, my children and my nephews get the benefit of having a grandmother like her in their life.

Published by Tonza D. Ruffin

Perfectly Imperfect but VERY PROUD WOMAN, MOM, LAWYER, and AUTHOR, but most importantly...LIFE LOVER! I laugh loud, I work hard, I play hard, I am adventurous, I am curious, I am driven, I have moments of deep insecurity, I am loving, I am vulnerable, I am explosive (not one of my finer qualities), I dance around my house alone, I am an awful perfectionist which makes my insecurity worse, I sing out loud in my car without any concern for whose watching, I have trust issues, I do not live through my children, I no longer try to force my children into the mold that I created so that I could feel validated as a mother, I am a risk-taker, I am guarded in my personal life, I am kind, I am grateful. I am so excited about the rest of my life!

18 thoughts on “I Am Auggie

  1. Girl!!! You had me tearing up!!! Love your writing & the great images you evoke. You are a “Wonder” yourself!❤️

  2. I am always amazed when people do incredibly hateful things and then act as if they did nothing wrong. Thank you for sharing your story. Teaching our children to accept people who look different than us is one of the most important things we can do as parents.

  3. Your story is very touching. It amazes me how adults and sometimes your peers do things to lower your self esteem. We ALL have flaws, which when challenged can be called out. It is very important to have strong family support. Once your strengths and esteem are instilled in you, no one can change your perception of yourself.
    Life is full of many lessons. I intend to continue lifting people up instead of tearing them down.
    You are AWESOME and AMAZING! I am glad you shared your story!

    1. Thank you so much for the kind words and taking this journey with me.
      A strong support system is the key when dealing with a world that can sometimes be pretty cruel.

  4. Having unknown your Mother for many years when I was an EMT, I’m not the least bit surprised that she took matters into her own hands. But you are a chip off the old block yourself and both of you certainly set a wonderful example for your children. I’m sure if you haven’t already you will want to see the movie Wonder too.

    1. I had the pleasure of going with my daughter and her class to see the movie. Of course I cried during the movie as well😊😊. Thank you Steve for your continued support!

  5. Wow, I am in tears. I am so, so, so happy about the person you are inside and out. God created you and he makes no mistakes. For a person to make such a comment they are insecure in themselves and do not like themselves. It’s funny because growing up I truly never thought about your vitiligo. I truly never noticed it. That’s a reflection of you raising us to see people for who they are, at their core. Im so happy to have a mother who raised me to essentially see the world with rose colored lenses. Lol 😀😋 I love you and I believe you are absolutely beautiful! ❤

  6. I hope upon publishing this, you found healing. Vitiligo is a skin condition. That teacher’s ignorance is a brain condition. See the difference? You’re beautiful through and through.

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