Big part of my upbringing taught me how to be submissive. Didn’t teach me to stand up, I had to learn it. I learned to speak up to get what I wanted. A painfully shy life form, I could never do enough to fit the norm. “Be quiet!” they’d tell me. “Kids don’t have a say.” “Smile!” “Sit up straight.” “Raise your head when you walk.” “Look at people in the eye when you talk.” “Don’t laugh so loudly!” “Don’t sin, act godly.” “Pristine girls don’t run around like horses; they walk in a straight line…” And perhaps unknowingly, they gave me too strong a spine. But still, not fine.…