---
title: Reflections Shouldn’t Hold Us Back
description: Orvin Kimbrough reflects on childhood trauma, healing, and why past scars should not limit future growth and possibility.
---

[Orvin Kimbrough | Blog](https://orvinkimbrough.com/blog)

# [Reflections Shouldn’t Hold Us Back](https://orvinkimbrough.com/blog/we-are-all-worthy-hx8sg-mfplf-wzwe2)

 Written by [Orvin Kimbrough](https://orvinkimbrough.com/blog/author/orvin-kimbrough) | May 07, 2026

As a kid I couldn’t wait to grow facial hair. It wasn’t because I wanted to look older (that was a secondary benefit). It was because I had a scar on the right side of my face borne of a traumatic event that caused me shame and embarrassment. The scar came from one of those “whoopings” that “got out of control,” and I took a belt buckle to the face. The impact was what I imagine being kicked in the face by a bull would feel like. I was sure she was going to kill me, and I was okay with it.

I was messed up for while, and my mouth was swollen shut for about a week. As the scar tissue began to form, so did my aversion to mirrors and posing for pictures. From that point forward, I hated looking at my reflection. I wanted to sit on the passenger side of the bus, closest to the window, so I was the only one who could see the scar reflected back. Even as an adult, I found myself favoring certain seats and positions in photos…all most definitely (and subconsciously) tied to the buckle incident. Since I was a kid, I was certain that others couldn’t see past my scar(s), and I figured facial hair could help me cover this up and restore me to normal.

We all have stuff that attempts to rob us of the simple things: joy, love and peace. When you experience persistent and chronic childhood trauma, the residue can stick for years and, if not addressed, rob you of a “normal” adult life that’s fulfilling and productive. Pressing forward is a choice that we all must make for ourselves (but that impacts our loved ones and futures). We can’t let “reflections” hold us back.

[View full post](https://orvinkimbrough.com/blog/we-are-all-worthy-hx8sg-mfplf-wzwe2)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Orvin Kimbrough"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-05-30T08:12:22.907Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-05-07T18:45:16Z",
  "headline" : "Reflections Shouldn’t Hold Us Back",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 1415,
    "url" : "https://244485167.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na2.net/hubfs/244485167/GettyImages-1169974807.jpg",
    "width" : 2119
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://orvinkimbrough.com/blog/we-are-all-worthy-hx8sg-mfplf-wzwe2",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "OrvinKimbrough.com Blog"
  }
}
```