I grew up on “The Gallagher Girls” books. I read them in middle school and then again in high school when I probably should’ve outgrown them. I didn’t care. They felt safe. The main character, Cammie Morgan, wanted to be invisible. She was good at it too. People called her “the chameleon.” I understood that. I’ve spent a lot of my life doing the same thing — trying not to be noticed, thinking it would make things easier.
If you blend in, no one can hurt you. At least that’s what I used to think.
But it’s not true. All it really does is make you feel like you’re watching life happen from the outside. You can’t get close to anyone that way. You can’t be loved if no one actually knows you exist.
Cammie learns that too, the hard way. It’s slow, and it hurts. She wants to keep everyone out so she won’t lose them, but it backfires. I get that. It’s easier to stay quiet and stay safe, but it also means you never really live.
Her story isn’t really about being a spy. It’s about being seen and finally showing up. That’s the hardest part for a lot of people, I think — just letting yourself be visible. Because when you are, people can misunderstand you or reject you. But they can also love you, and they can find you.
Cammie’s turning point isn’t when she wins a fight. It’s when she stops hiding. She starts letting people in, even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s real bravery.
I still fall back into old habits sometimes. I still catch myself trying to disappear. I try to remember her. I remember that safety isn’t about being invisible. It’s about finding people who make you feel safe enough to be seen.
Invisibility feels peaceful, but it’s a lonely kind of peace. The kind that eats at you after a while. Cammie reminded me that stepping into the light might hurt, but it’s the only way to feel alive.
