Chapter#01: Invisible in Plain Sight

John had consistently felt like he was imperceptible when he was around others. He always had the nagging feeling that he wasn't seen, no matter where he was—in a classroom full of students or in a crowded room. It was as if he were a ghost, a shadow of himself, mingling with life without being noticed.

For as long as he could remember, he had felt this way, and as he got older, it had only gotten worse. He had been one of the quiet kids in the back of the middle school classroom, but he had still made some friends. Things changed in high school. It appeared as though everyone had already formed their cliques as the social hierarchy became more complex. John felt like he was looking in from the sidelines.

He had tried to be more outgoing by joining teams and clubs and putting himself out there, but it didn't seem to work. He felt like he was generally the last one picked for anything, the one nobody needed to sit with at lunch. In any event, when he was with his couple of companions, he felt like he was continuously blurring out of the spotlight, similar to he was only a tagalong, not actually part of the gathering.

John's self-esteem had been damaged as a result of everything. He had the impression that there was something wrong with him, that he was not worthy of attention or likable by nature. He yearned to be noticed, to be appreciated, and to be liked by others. In any case, it seemed like regardless of what he did, he couldn't shake this sensation of imperceptibility.

John knew things needed to change as he began his senior year of high school. He wanted to stop living with the impression that he was invisible. He desired to find a means of being noticed, of making a difference, and of serving a purpose. However, he was stumped on where to begin. He only knew that he couldn't continue to feel this way forever.