"you know, i wonder - just for the sake of wondering - what it would be like to have the scars be seen by others and to have the attitude of "Yep. I was in a lot of pain. You're staring does not effect me because I know who I am, what I went through, and what I had to do to get through that time in my life." I wonder if i'll ever reach that point."

That is exactly what I was thinking to myself last night as I was trying on my clothes- I have been hiding my scars for...I don't know- well over a decade anyway- and I am no-where near that point of being 'proud' of my 'badges'. I hate even looking in the mirror if I have no top on and seeing them. The ones on my lower arms (all cigarette burns so quite noticeable) are shown all the time, but that is just coz I could not wear long sleeves 24/7. No-one has ever asked about them though...
My scars do not seem to fade, probably coz they are so deep (the cuts AND burns). I know it is all my own fault, I am just really hating this position I have got myself in, hence this whinge and whine session!!

(Kiya, make sure you don't warm your fish too much; I keep getting images of cooked fish in my mind lol!!!)