Some have said my chicken parmigiana doesn’t look appetizing

The ingredient is literally in the name of the dish, so it's kind of expected for it to be there, don't you think? Let me tell you something, take chances when you are young so that you can tell stories when you get old. Life was simple when I was young, I used to be confident with myself back then…. The snatches of memory I get when I was at nursery, aren’t really pleasant. Bad memories/events stick with you, even if good ones don’t. I remember walking in class on my first day of school, just four years old, my eyes focusing on my future bestfriend, the only girl who didn’t seem stationary. We turned out to be complete opposites, when we grew up, but that’s what bounded us the most. Going on to second grade, we remained two peas in a pod. By the end of the third grade there was a slight barrier due to certain reasons. Fourth grade came and our classes were split apart, now that’s when the name-calling started. It was a time when my height was made fun of, doesn’t seem much when its written on parchment or when its done as a light joke and the whole class joined in. The only person who was not laughing was me. It ended when I told my mom though. I remember raising my hand in nursery onwards, when no one else did, the thrill of getting something right. The harsher actual bullying followed me into fifth grade, where my spirit and self-confidence were crushed. It rose eventually though not to its actual extent. You can kick, scratch, poke holes in a door, but after fixing it ,marks, scars and damage still remain, which fade with time. I am behind everything that happened though. There are some pretty good memories too. The time I participated in a fashion show at school, was memorable, not the final result, but the preparation for it. I had just seen a girl in front of me, get makeup done by the teacher in charge. She was representing American culture, so was her companion boy , my companion boy and I were pathans more like kashmiris. I boasted to my companion that I would get make up done, while he would probably get stuck with spots. My turn was up, I lifted my chin with glee,… and three spots appeared on my chin. I stood dumbfounded, my expression unreadable; while my partner laughed his head off, but during his moment of unabashed gleefulness at my inconvenience … he got stuck with spots too!. I so did not waste time, laughing at him like a maniac. When I was Younger, life was a lot simpler / stress free. I wouldn’t want to turn back time though, the past is in the past, you can’t change or stop it. I wan to go forward and make something out of my life, live independently.