💌 From My Memory Box: Finding My People on Bebo

If I could reach back into my teenage years and pull out one small but powerful memory, it would be this: fifteen-year-old me, sitting at the computer, joining the autism community on Bebo.

My profile was pink and sparkly (obviously 💖), full of lyrics and random gifs — but for the first time, it wasn’t just decoration. It was me. A place where I could be honest, understood, and not have to explain every little thing.

That community was the first time I felt truly okay about being autistic. I met other girls who were like me — funny, creative, thoughtful, intense — and it was such a relief. Suddenly I wasn’t the only one who saw the world this way.

Some of those friendships have lasted since 2008 (!!), quietly growing up alongside me. The sparkly layouts are long gone, but the connection stayed.

It’s wild to think how something as simple as a social site could change everything — how a pink Bebo page became the first space where I felt seen, accepted, and completely, unapologetically myself.