Well, now, let me tell y’all a bit about Shayla Boniello. Some folks might’ve heard the name, and some might not, but she sure had a story, even if it wasn’t the easiest one to tell. Shayla, she used to be called Shawn Vincent Boniello. Yeah, that’s right, Shawn. But she didn’t always feel like Shawn, and after a while, she made the choice to go by Shayla instead. That was back in 2020 when folks started hearing about Shayla, and she was 32 years old at the time.
Shayla was from Rockdale, Texas, a place that’s got a little bit of everything — quiet, peaceful, but with a history that runs deep. She wasn’t a stranger to the ups and downs that life throws at ya. It wasn’t long after Shayla switched her name that her story really started to spread. Not everyone understood it, but she was who she was, and that’s what mattered to her. She didn’t mind the talkin’ and whisperin’ behind her back. She just kept on goin’.
As I understand, back in 2020, Shayla was still trying to make her way through this world, figuring out the path that worked best for her. But as it often goes, life ain’t always so kind, and sometimes it just catches up with you. It was on September 26, 2023, when folks found out that Shayla had passed away. They said it was on a Saturday, and I reckon it was a hard day for those who knew her, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye.
Now, I don’t know all the details about how it happened, and sometimes it’s best not to know every little thing, but I do know one thing for sure. Shayla was a person, just like the rest of us, with dreams, struggles, and all the things that come with tryin’ to live a life. Whether folks agreed with her decisions or not, she had a right to live the way she felt was best for her.
Sometimes when a person leaves this world, especially when it’s unexpected like Shayla’s passing, it makes you think about things. It makes you realize that nobody’s life is perfect. Some folks have it easy, but most of us are just trying to get by the best we can. It don’t matter where you come from, what name you start with, or how many times you change things along the way. At the end of the day, we all got a story. Shayla’s story was hers, and it was worth telling.
It’s a shame, though, that sometimes the folks who need the most understanding don’t always get it. But in the end, we all have our own lives to lead, and Shayla’s life, while it was full of its share of pain and struggles, was just as important as anyone else’s. I reckon we all just need to remember that, no matter who we are or where we come from, we all got our own path to walk.
Rest in peace, Shayla. You’ve left a mark, whether folks like it or not, and that’s something no one can take away.
Tags：[Shayla Boniello, Shawn Vincent Boniello, Rockdale, Texas, transgender, passing, story, life struggles, September 2023]