assumptions

I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE ASSUME THINGS. Hasn't anyone figured out by now that that's really stupid and potentially dangerous?
In church today, they were talking about this girl I know, saying how we should be our friend because she's been through things we could not possibly ever imagine, we have no idea how hard it was for her. And thanks to my father, who knew their family, I happen to know I have been through quite a bit of what she has, thank you.
I don't want this to sound like a competition... what I'm saying is, people at my church assume things. They see a nice family, smart kid, another kid doiong really successfully (even if they know my brother's background in drugs), perfect family. People at church are always telling me how lucky I am.
Well NEWS FLASH. It's not always what you'd expect. It's not always the alcoholic father, the codependent mother, the neglected children. It is, quite often, but it is also that respectable, wonderful family you envy and think is perfect... it's that smart girl who you'd never believe had gone through hell like that.

Stereotypes can be so damaging and it just makes me so freaking mad... that nobody at my church, nobody, knows who I am or what I've been through, but they're happy to make assumptions about me based on superficial things.

Come on, people, wake up, families like mine keep secrets, secrets that the kids don't tell, that the spouse wouldn't dare reveal, generations of secrets so you never find out...

It's not always blaringly obvious. I'm so freaking sick of secrets, of people believing my life is easy and perfect and I am lucky. How can people be so blind?!!?!?!!!?!!!!!