Welcome to the American Freak Show! (ePub)

'Twas the late, great William Shakespeare that said:

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts…"

I couldn't agree more with this statement. While the famed poet and playwright described the ages, stages and phases of life as a seven-act play, I tend to think of life as more of a circus sideshow, a freak show of sorts-mostly predictable, but with oddities and things sometimes not immediately able to be explained. Facing things never encountered before can be a bit daunting.

Most folks spend a lifetime trying to put on their faces for the world to see, obscuring the nitty-gritty things that they deem unworthy. But I think it's this base need for approval, and the "unworthy" imperfections that sort of level the playing field that is our human experience. At times, I think we all tend to think of ourselves as "freaks" in one way or another. Maybe we feel abnormal because of unmet expectations from others, from ourselves. Maybe it's our lust for sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll that make us seem like black sheep. Perhaps it's being a parent or a caregiver that leaves us feeling like caged birds every now and again. Whether you're a constant juggler, or one that walks the tightrope, from hormonal issues, to depression, to cultural identity struggles, or being on the wrong side of the technological great divide, we all have our hang-ups in this life, and that's what makes us human. "Freak Show is inspired by my experiences (some lived, some dreamed) and perspective as an American girl going through several acts on this world's stage. I hope that each of you is able to find new perspective, or something fun or weirdly relatable."

Christina Cantu, is an emerging author and performance poet from Houston, Texas. Growing up as a mixed-race kid in the wrong part of town, she always had a sense of "not belonging." Labeled as a "freak" for her unusual tastes in clothes, music, friends, she erred towards nonconformity from an early age, always preferring to go against the grain, rather than to follow the cliquish crowd. Once reserved with a sense of isolation, she now finds herself giving voice and perspective to other "black sheep" who may have been afraid to come out of the shadows and embrace their uniqueness. She uses her matter-of-fact tone to break people down, lift people up, and call people out when necessary. "Evoking responsible personal liberation and raising social consciousness are at the heart of everything I say and do. The world is a freak show, and we just have to learn to love our own weirdness, whatever that may be, without squashing that in others. Life is a circus, and it's okay to be in the freak show tent."