I know this sounds strange, but as a kid, I was really shy. Painfully shy. The turning point was freshman year, when I was the biggest geek alive. No one, I mean no one, even talked to me.
Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
I used to love to play dress-up, where you get your mother's or your grandmother's dresses and high heels.