Dancer,
This is a topic I'm not sure I can bring much wisdom, because feeling that I don't belong anywhere or am accepted for who I am has been the story of my life. Much of it does stem from history and experience of being on the outside-looking-in, some of which was due to a sheer inability to figure out what or who I needed to be in order to be acceptable to that "inside" group. And since I still sit in my basement at my computer day after day because I have no friends here to share lunch, shopping, or whatever with, it would seem that I still haven't figured it out.

But there are some things I HAVE figured out, though I'm still not so good at 'practising what I preach'. One is that each and every one of us has a very distinct, unique light & wisdom that ONLY WE are capable of shining out into the world - and the world NEEDS that light and we do a great disservice when we refuse to shine, or hide that light behind our fear of shining it. The other thing is that nobody gains when anyone else's light is made to shine brighter by diminishing another person's light...sometimes we step back in order to allow others' voices to be heard and wisdom to be spoken, but I think that we must always safeguard EVERYONE's light and voice and wisdom, including our own, from being diminished.

So in the midst of all of that tangle is this hope, that you never allow anyone to diminish you or your light in order for theirs to shine brighter - the world needs YOU & YOUR light, and you too are meant to shine bright. Your combination of history, experience, talents & gifts, wisdom and insight creates a unique voice and wisdom that nobody else can speak, and you must not allow anyone else to silence your voice or steal your joy or diminish the much-needed gift that you bring to the world. Shine. And know that it's no accident that you are who you are with all that you bring to the world...you are MEANT to shine the unique light that only you can shine!

Other people's inability to accept you is a reflection on THEIR limitations, not on you. It hurts. I know all too painfully how much it hurts. Like I said, I don't know the answer. I just know that we can't allow anyone - including our own selves - to be diminished, the world needs every ripple of light we can possibly muster.