NataliaSotelo
Feb 1, 2017
Undergraduate / Minority in a diversity -------UW Mad------- Something unnoticed, importance to me. [3]
Merged:
Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why it's important to you. (Max 650 Words) (WC: 557)
What is life, but a constant struggle to live? But what is a life without a struggle to have overcome? We go through our day to day lives stuck in our own world because it's hard to notice someone when they're just another face in the crowd, we never get a backstory, so we judge absentmindedly. Growing up, I always had labels put on my head, "low-income", "latina", "first generation", "daughter of a single mother", with assumptions and stereotypes hanging over my head, but none of these could truly encapsulate what I had experienced.
I was only nine when the recession hit the US, my dad was laid off soon after and his blood pressure was continuing to rise due to his alcoholism, and though he made strides to stop, he struggled. It was a lazy Sunday in March when the weeklong struggle of life vs. death commenced but, it ultimately led to my dad passing away that Wednesday; the moment I went back to school everyone already knew. My teacher gave me a pile of letters from my peers in which they gave their condolences, it gave me a warm feeling of appreciation and a sense of belonging I wanted, especially at that time. I returned to school feeling uncomfortable but safe, but kids don't have a filter at such a young age. Though my peers would say they were sorry for what happened, I couldn't help feel bombarded by the careless empathy, and all they would ask was how my dad died. In the beginning, I gave a prolonged explanation of the unfortunate events "He had two seizures in a day, the second one happened while putting out a fire behind the house, his foot got lodged, hit his head and fell into a coma", but as the days progressed and kids kept asking, it turned into a simple "accident", but it didn't feel that way. I had to grow a thick skin quick, kids are unfiltered and some are just plain mean, in the following year I was bullied because of my "daughter of a single mother" status, I was different simply because I didn't have a dad. It was hard to cope, but I tried to focus on my schoolwork, looked forward to my future, and became stronger. However, it was the opposite story for my mom, she became depressed and, like my dad previously, she resorted to alcohol to cope. I spent my tween years concerned for mother's livelihood, wondering where she could be, and watching my sister struggle with the possibility of missing persons reports and putting me and my brother in foster care. But despite two absent parents, I was still loved and cared for by my siblings and remained optimistic.
I'm more than the labels given to me, I am my experiences and hopes. Through my experiences, I became resilient and determined. My unnoticed past still shapes me today, for better or for worse, and I'm determined to better my life for my sake and for my family's sake, as well as continuing to mend my broken relationship with my recovering mother. In losing the important relationships of my life, I found a stronger me. I've learned to be empathetic by looking past the labels and see things from others' perspectives as a way of righting my bully's actions.
Be honest please
Merged:
'What is life, but a constant struggle to live?' Consider something unnoticed. My Past. UW Madison
Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why it's important to you. (Max 650 Words) (WC: 557)
labels in my head
What is life, but a constant struggle to live? But what is a life without a struggle to have overcome? We go through our day to day lives stuck in our own world because it's hard to notice someone when they're just another face in the crowd, we never get a backstory, so we judge absentmindedly. Growing up, I always had labels put on my head, "low-income", "latina", "first generation", "daughter of a single mother", with assumptions and stereotypes hanging over my head, but none of these could truly encapsulate what I had experienced.
I was only nine when the recession hit the US, my dad was laid off soon after and his blood pressure was continuing to rise due to his alcoholism, and though he made strides to stop, he struggled. It was a lazy Sunday in March when the weeklong struggle of life vs. death commenced but, it ultimately led to my dad passing away that Wednesday; the moment I went back to school everyone already knew. My teacher gave me a pile of letters from my peers in which they gave their condolences, it gave me a warm feeling of appreciation and a sense of belonging I wanted, especially at that time. I returned to school feeling uncomfortable but safe, but kids don't have a filter at such a young age. Though my peers would say they were sorry for what happened, I couldn't help feel bombarded by the careless empathy, and all they would ask was how my dad died. In the beginning, I gave a prolonged explanation of the unfortunate events "He had two seizures in a day, the second one happened while putting out a fire behind the house, his foot got lodged, hit his head and fell into a coma", but as the days progressed and kids kept asking, it turned into a simple "accident", but it didn't feel that way. I had to grow a thick skin quick, kids are unfiltered and some are just plain mean, in the following year I was bullied because of my "daughter of a single mother" status, I was different simply because I didn't have a dad. It was hard to cope, but I tried to focus on my schoolwork, looked forward to my future, and became stronger. However, it was the opposite story for my mom, she became depressed and, like my dad previously, she resorted to alcohol to cope. I spent my tween years concerned for mother's livelihood, wondering where she could be, and watching my sister struggle with the possibility of missing persons reports and putting me and my brother in foster care. But despite two absent parents, I was still loved and cared for by my siblings and remained optimistic.
I'm more than the labels given to me, I am my experiences and hopes. Through my experiences, I became resilient and determined. My unnoticed past still shapes me today, for better or for worse, and I'm determined to better my life for my sake and for my family's sake, as well as continuing to mend my broken relationship with my recovering mother. In losing the important relationships of my life, I found a stronger me. I've learned to be empathetic by looking past the labels and see things from others' perspectives as a way of righting my bully's actions.
Be honest please