To be completely honest, I didn’t think I would get where I am today. I didn’t like writing or reading as a little kid to the point that if you told a younger me that I took on a hobby such as reading, she would look at you like you stole candy from a baby. That stemmed from a young age. When I didn’t have anything to do, my parents would tell me to go do something better and read. Although my parents meant well, I would see it as punishment, punishing me for falling behind or for not being as “intelligent” as other kids. I didn’t like how it made me feel. Naturally, that passed on to how I viewed reading and writing. I saw it as nothing more than a chore, something to get it done and over with, instead of something it could have been, something beautiful.
It wasn’t until 10th grade that I met a friend. She was a monotone person but had a sense of humor. We met because we had a math teacher who was rather rough with her course. We found common ground in not being good at math and hit it off. One day, she reached out to me and we spoke, the topic of reading came up, and I found out she liked reading. Although I had read many books during my time at Parkdale, I only ever saw them as assignments. So when she spoke of reading as something soothing, like drinking a cold glass of water on a hot summer day, that intrigued me. I told her that I wanted to get into reading because I was moved by her interest. She suggested reading a book together, Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow. From there on, it was history.
It felt like I unlocked a new chapter in my life. It’s amazing how a mere suggestion could flourish into something so meaningful.
It may be silly, but this made me reflect on many things. It taught me you don’t have to follow what was written by someone else; there’s a difference between following the advice of someone and having your life predetermined. A person can do what they can to get where they want to be, but life isn’t without risks, so don’t be afraid when you feel lost, everyone goes through them– I had my fair share. Not everything is going to be within control, and that’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Not everyone is going to be able to know your story, so it’s up to you to tell it. Remember that only you can define your own story. You may hear these words over and over, but trust me, there’s a difference between hearing words of advice and feeling them. Both good things and bad things don’t last forever, so live a fulfilling life instead of an empty one.
This marks the end of my chapter. It’s time to start a new one.
