I Peacocked So Hard I Forgot Who I Was

Okay, real talk: peacocking is exhausting. I used to think it was just a guy thing—like, take your shirt off at the gym, flex, whatever. But then I caught myself spending 45 minutes on my eyeliner before a party just to maybe get a text back from a dude who barely knows my name. I’d wear these ridiculous heels, post thirst traps that made my mom DM me, and laugh at jokes that made me want to crawl out of my skin. I even started humble-bragging about my job, like, "Oh, I just got promoted, no big deal," hoping someone would finally see me. But honestly? It just made me feel fake. Like, who am I trying to impress? Sometimes I wish I could just show up in sweats and not care. But then I remember: everyone’s peacocking. We’re all just hoping someone notices. Is it bad? Maybe. But it’s real. And I’m tired. #NoFilter #WhyAmILikeThis #DatingStruggles #RomanticRelationships