its a hot girl summer and YOU'RE invited!

If there is anything that you're worried about showing, if you're a person who would sweat to death because you didn't want to show that part of you, these guys have a hot girl summer. Wear what you want to wear, don't care. I used to think everyone's gonna be doing that and I don't really feel like I can. You can. You can. I feel like, like Strawberry Shortcake, you know, the animation. Hey everyone, it's Tilly. Welcome back to my YouTube channel. It's been a while but not ages. 'cause we did another Obby Tour. I didn't film this one because I already filmed 2 in the past, but that was a thing also, super successful. Big thanks to everybody who came down and got to play around with some Bionic Arms. It was lovely to meet you all. But other than that, the sun is out. It's been out for a couple of days recently, which is super, super nice. I got my little tan on. Don't know if you could tell. I fully burnt my shoulder the other day, but it's sort of sorted itself out now. Little bit more tan than usual. I feel like the norm is like whenever the sun's out, everybody's happy, especially here in Britain. It's like a bit of sun, get the barbecue out, chilling in the garden, sticky shorts on even if it's 14 degrees. I'm really feeling those vibes this year. I'm really looking forward to the summer. These days spent outside getting a tan on have been so, so nice, but it hasn't always been like that for me. Like, this is different to the usual for me, and this is what I want to talk about today, just to see if anyone relates, because my my sort of view on those days and my personal feelings towards them has really changed over the years. So number 1, being an amputee, obviously you get stares. Like, that's a given. Happens every day whenever I'm outside. Like, it happens. Like, and that was one thing, like, in the summer months that you couldn't really get away from because you're wearing little t-shirts, you're wearing little shorts, all the scars are on show and things like that. People, especially kids who have never seen that before, are like, confused. So I used to find when it came to like the summer months, that's when I'd sort of start like rolling sleeves down and stuff like that. And it wasn't because I don't— I'm not happy with my limb difference. I've made this known before. It's none of that. Like, I'm perfectly accepted of myself and things, but it's because in the summertime more and more people were seeing it. You'd get a lot of stares. Sometimes you want to educate people, sometimes you want to talk to them about it. You know, some people don't have hands, some people do, and like you can have that little educational bit. But other times you just want to like get an ice cream and not have to like explain your whole life story, if you know what I mean. And so when I got a bit older and I just wanted to like live my teenage life, I started to roll my sleeves down. I didn't want to have to answer all those questions. And same thing goes for the scars. So back in previous summers, I didn't look forward to them at all. I actually dreaded them quite a lot because I I was like, oh no, my family and the people around me are gonna expect me to wear like t-shirts and things like that. I'm gonna rock downstairs in like a jumper, like a cardigan over the top, and like try and get away with that so that I don't have to deal with like the stairs and I can have something covering me should I want to use it, you know. And it would be like, no, Tilly, man, you're gonna be too hot in that. Like, go get some shorts on. Go like just wear a t-shirt, wear a tank top. What are you doing wearing like wool? It's summer. And so that used to like be quite a lot of anxiety for me during the summertime because I was like trying to always pick out an outfit which will like keep me as cool as I can possibly be, um, but still have the sleeves and still have the length on my legs. And I did come forward with these like issues that I had, and the advice that everybody would give you, it's so easy to say, and I myself have probably said it to like other people. If they're insecure about certain things, I'll be like, your first thing is like, you look beautiful, don't worry about it. Like, if they stare and things, that's their problem, that's not like a bad thing that you should deal with, and things like that. And that's so great to be said. However, when you're that person receiving all the attention and the stares and things like that, it's like, yeah, that's great you telling me that, but I'm still gonna deal with this and I'm still gonna think about it. Like, it's still a conscious thing in my head. I'm too conscious of it. And so when people would say to me like, oh, Tilly, your scars aren't even that bad, or no one cares, or like, they're pretty or something, like whatever you could say and make me feel better about it and in your head make me want to like go outside and wear the shorts and things like that, it just didn't really work. I wanted, I've wanted for as long as I've been that way in the summer and in the heat and wanting to hide away and things like that, I wanted to be able to actually through personal experience get some advice for myself and be able to give that advice to somebody else, somebody else dealing with that same situation. Whether it is like an amputee with a difference like that or you're just insecure about something, having been given that advice my whole life and knowing, oh, it doesn't do anything, like it doesn't change the way you ultimately think about it and things like that. I wanted to be able to find the advice which really would help and actually like change something somewhere. But something I've realized now I'm grown up, I really don't worry about the summer, like, and this is probably the first year, and last year I was getting there a little bit, but this is probably the first year where I'm actually like not too fussed about it, and I'm not sat feeling anxious. I'm actually excited for those summer days that everybody else looks forward to. And I wish I could tell you the advice which has helped me get there, but like, I don't think there is much. I think through your life you experience things which help you accept yourself a little bit more. Really good friendships, relationships, that sort of thing makes you realise that it doesn't mean anything whether you're missing hands or whether you've got scarring or whatever. Like, it, it really is quite a small thing in the— what you call it— in the grand scheme of things. It really is such a small thing. So definitely life experience has helped me, but I think the truth is, and something I've realized as I've got older, is like there's not one advice that you could just take on. And this is horrible to hear because if you're like me when I was 13 and you just wanted some advice which would make you go, oh yeah, like what am I worried about, and you wanted it to like sort you out completely, it doesn't really work like that. Like genuinely, I feel like— and this happened to me— I just sort of woke up one day and it didn't matter anymore. And me saying that now would be so mad for my younger self to hear, like, she'd be like— because I used to get so stressed out about it. And little Tilly's like, what changed at all? I'm like, I don't know, I just like— I think as you get older you just grow up and you sort of realize it's not that deep. And it's annoying because you spend your whole life like wanting to hide it and things, and the people around you are telling you it's not that deep though. It's not that deep, like, it's fine, like, people don't care that much, it's not that deep. But until you make that decision in yourself that that's true, that it's actually not that deep, and you have to decide that for yourself, that it doesn't bother you anymore. And people haven't looked at me, like, at all, and been like, ugh, it's actually not that deep. I genuinely think accepting yourself and confidence, like, the main thing you need to know from that process is, like, it's such a personal journey. I don't think anything I'm gonna say today is gonna change the way you feel about yourself if you're in a similar situation to how I was when I was about 13 years old. Because I've had all this said to me before and it just didn't mean a thing. Because if you've got that in your head, you've got that in your head. But now I'm 17, I'd go out now and wear shorts, whereas before I'd do everything in my power in order to not do that. Like, be sweating in the burning heat because 'cause I didn't want to have the scars out and on show. Girl, it's not worth it. It's not worth it. And it feels so much lighter going into the summer this year thinking, who cares, you know? It's like an epiphany and it's like every summer, every time I wore those leggings and I was sweating, didn't need to. You don't need to. And you, trust me, if you're in that same situation, You might think now, oh, that's, that's far off, like I'm still gonna worry exactly how I thought, but there'll come a day where you just wake up. I'm telling you, you'll wake up and then you'll just understand and you'll not care anymore, and it's the best feeling in the world, let me tell you that. So I just wanted to make this video, I guess, going into the summer. Like, it is really a short one, but it's just a nice little reminder, like, if there is anything that you're worried about showing, if you're a person who would sweat to death because you didn't want to show that part of you in the past. Let this be the summer where you just let it go. Because I look back on previous summers when I started hiding things and I think, what a waste of that summer. And that's why I pledge going into this one, it's not gonna follow that pattern. I'm gonna do what the frick I want to do, and you should do the same. Because the more people who do that, the easier it's gonna get for absolutely everybody. And another message is If maybe you don't have that difference at all, but you find yourself staring yourself in public, don't feel bad. Don't feel bad at all. Just be aware. Just be aware. Like, everybody's different. Everybody should be able to go outside and wear the shorts and wear that tank top and wear the bikinis and things and not feel judged and absolutely not have to hide under all those layers. I used to hear the term hot girl summer, which is very big among the teenagers and the Gen Zs, and on TikTok everyone's like, hot girl summer. Hot girl summer basically means get in your little clothes and have a good time. And that made me sad when I seen it because I was like, everyone's gonna be doing that and I don't really feel like I can. You can. You can. Hot Girl Summer for everybody. Hot Guy Summer. Like, give yourself that. You deserve it. You owe that to yourself. So this summer, don't go into it thinking, I can't be one of the hot girls in Hot Girl Summer, or that doesn't apply to me. It does. Have a great time. If you're still struggling, I guarantee you'll wake up one day and you'll realize, wow, I never actually had to put myself through all that. And you'll look back and you'll think, I could have spent that summer so much better. So enjoy yourself, have fun, wear what you want to wear, don't care. Wear what you want to wear, don't care. And also respect that when it comes to other people as well. Hype each other up, compliments on the street. We all look fire. Like, that is the energy going into this summer, and I'm so, so excited. See you in my next video. I'm gonna be making a summer bucket list. Either start that bucket list right now or wait until next week and we'll do it together. And make sure you tick every last thing off. But the biggest tick on that list is going to be happiness and freedom and wear what you want. Thank you so, so, so much for watching. I really hope you enjoyed this video. Hope you took something away from it, or if not, I hope you just like the positive vibes and yet you had a nice drink while you were watching this. Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you all next time. Bye!