91. Time To Grow Up!
Eastmont Junior High School, Los Angeles, California - Proud of her straight "A" report card, a seventh grader got into a first time verbal altercation with her father over how smart she was or wasn't. "You're not THAT smart!" was the comment he made, which of course made no logical sense to the twelve year old. "How many other kids get straight As?" she postured.
Fast flash forward forty years... while reading several newspaper editorials, in regard to the current political agendas, this single childhood incident suddenly dislodged itself from one of my frontal lobe folds and a chain reaction of other growing pain memories ensued.
By high school, though I really wasn't interested in dating, one reason having to do with my personal lack of social self-esteem, it didn't prevent ongoing arguments with my father over not being able to date until the age of 18. It was a matter of principle and personal freedom of choice, after all! "Where is the trust?" "How can I learn responsibility if never given the opportunity?" My poor father! "THAT girl, she sure has a mouth on her!" is what he would say to my mother, when she would ask "What is it now?"
The biggest blow-up, the last falling out, the major cataclysmic, life-changing event occurred, after I had won a major battle to attend junior college. My father had wanted me to attend "beauty school" to learn how to be a cosmetologist. I convinced him that I would make more money by becoming a dental hygienist. Well... during the chalk-carving test at the University of Southern California, I realized I didn't want to be looking into people's mouths everyday of my life. I went home and informed my parents I was declaring art as my new major. That was it!
Not only was I practically disowned, I was told I would receive no financial help at all, and from that day, I was on my own. I sat in my closet and cried for three days straight, when I finally faced the stark reality. I had to prove to the world that I could do it, do whatever it took to achieve my own goals, that only I would be responsible for my own success or failure.
Hmm, interesting, times haven't really changed. As a teenager, one's perception of the world is somewhat limited and exceptionally egocentric. No matter how many birthdays one celebrates, and how far one broadens her perspectives, it still comes down to one taking personal responsibility, for her own success or failure, to stop relying on others' judgments or dictates, AND to always question authority of those in control.
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