R.L. Oaks Mason: A Work In Progress

Over 20 years ago, I adopted LadyCygnet as the nickname I used on the Internet.

Why?

Cygnet was already taken.

My mother used The Ugly Duckling story to cheer me up when I felt bad about being fat, ugly, and so very different from everybody else. I was supposed to go through the ugly phase and emerge a swan.

Needless to say, that never happened.

I’m still fat, and I’ve made peace with my looks (having two incredibly gorgeous older sisters is hard on the ol’ ego, I’m here to tell you, but I’m not as hideous as I thought I was 20 years ago), and I’m still very different from everybody else.

They call it “autism,” and that’s fine by me.

I also have a host of health problems related to a cocktail of genetics, bad choices, and bad situations. On top of that, for reasons unknown, I suddenly lost 50% of my eyesight in my right eye. It makes reading, writing, and making art–all things I love immensely–more challenging than they used to be. I am now legally blind, and my vision is getting worse.

But enough of the sads. I have a great husband who is a licensed counselor. I have two amazing daughters who give me every reason to wake up each morning and carry on. I have friends all over the world who enjoy who I am. I am a published author, an artist, and a pretty decent editor.

I don’t need to be a swan anymore.