I would tell my 12-year-old self...

I would tell my 12-year-old self that those who put you down and make you feel unworthy are wrong. I would tell him that he is smart and funny and kind and capable of many things. I would tell him that he has to make a special effort to take care of himself because his parents are too messed up to look after him the way he should be looked after. I would tell him to make good friends, nice friends. I would tell him to eat better and to get some sort of exercise even though he doesn't like competitive sports, which is perfectly okay. Go for a jog on that country road behind your house. I would tell him to do well in school because that will be his ticket out of the environment he's in now. And I would tell him that when it's possible, he should go someplace that's more hospitable toward boys like him, and he should look for love. I would tell him to dream of romance and affection and tenderness and that he doesn't have to settle for furtive physical encounters with strangers. I would tell him he can have it all. A good job, a nice place to live, friends, special friends, boyfriends. I would tell him to not let those around him try to limit him or hold him back.