To the Daily:
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the readers of The Michigan Daily, especially those who took the time and effort to comment on my opinion piece last summer, “Pandora’s Box.” At the time, the criticism was very hard to take in stride, and I was overwhelmed with feelings of embarrassment. But in actuality, reading those comments was incredibly helpful in learning a hard lesson — I made a mistake. I put myself out there and fell flat on my face in front of the entire University. But that’s okay.
I want to make clear that the attitude expressed in my previous piece is no longer an accurate portrayal of myself. My understanding of sexuality has grown significantly since I wrote my “sex column” last summer. It’s more sophisticated and mature, and frankly I won’t be commenting on sexuality anytime soon. Just be safe, healthy and happy.
Looking back, I see myself still finding my footing. Not yet had I come to terms with who I was instead, of who I thought I should be. I felt I was on the verge of something significant in my life, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. It could have been a myriad of things: my new job as a bartender, possible semesters abroad, assisting a local band on tour or joining the Daily opinion staff. But whatever it was going to be, it needed my willingness to take a chance. Good, bad, or ugly I needed to make a move, and I ended taking a wrong turn.
I’m lucky that this hiccup in my adult career will live forever thanks to the Daily’s archives — it’s a part of my history and I’m not going to deny or hide from it.
I can only take this as an opportunity for personal growth and try to balance the knowledge I’ve gained with the experiences I’ve had.
Molly Payton
LSA sophomore