ronboy555
Aug 28, 2013
Undergraduate / Switching Houses; PERSONAL NARRATIVE ESSAY [3]
A hotel room to a kid is what a castle is to an adult. My brother and I would sprint through the halls, rent pay per-view movies, and spend Mom's change at the vending machines. I even told stories to my 7-year-old classmates about staying in a hotel and they were fascinated. Looking back, I wish I was able to stay on the vacation for longer. But I had to face realities that kids at that age should not have to. It first occurred to my brother and me that something was wrong when we had not seen our dad in over a week. In the beginning, our mom was able to hide it from us, like a parent sheltering their kid from the death of a pet. Later that year when I had a better understanding of what exactly our family was going through, I realized it was not something to brag about to my classmates and conversely the opposite.
My red initialed backpack that I had received as a gift 3 years prior, was beginning to deteriorate. I approached my mom and told her I needed a new backpack. "Your father and I have agreed to what each of us are going to buy for you guys. Your dad is responsible for all school related supplies," she explained to me. So the next day when I brought my self and all my belongings to my dad's house I told him I needed a new backpack. "I PAY YOUR MOM OVER $2,000 A MONTH IN CHILD SUPPORT AND SHE CAN'T BUY YOU A BACKPACK?!," he yelled at me although I was simply asking for a new backpack and doing what my mom had said. So then I went on with my school year ignoring the holes in backpack and the fact that it was heavier than my other classmates because it was filled with my things that I needed to transport from house to house, and not just school supplies.
While coming home to the same house, the same room, and the same bed seems natural for most children, for me that would feel like a luxury. I spent my childhood switching houses, and imprisoned in my parent's constant arguments about child support, and custody. In most cases, a well-balanced family creates a sense of security for children and when I was stripped of that, I felt scared and alone. I realised then that because my parents were entangled in their own battles, with each other and within themselves, that I would have to begin looking after myself.
I developed a pest that was always with me, constantly reminding me that I would never have a good family life like my friends did. I would go to their houses and be envious of the way everyone, mom and dad, would sit down for dinner. Although statistics would show that children of divorce are more likely to get divorced when they are adults, I know I will do whatever I can to ensure that my future family will be tight and strong. I would never be able to put a kid through the unnecessary stress, anxiety, and depression that comes along with being a child of divorce. Resilient people are able to respond to adversity by finding some way to benefit them. I know my childhood has not been ideal but because of that, I have learned to overcome things that I cannot control, and work for the best in the things that I can.
A hotel room to a kid is what a castle is to an adult. My brother and I would sprint through the halls, rent pay per-view movies, and spend Mom's change at the vending machines. I even told stories to my 7-year-old classmates about staying in a hotel and they were fascinated. Looking back, I wish I was able to stay on the vacation for longer. But I had to face realities that kids at that age should not have to. It first occurred to my brother and me that something was wrong when we had not seen our dad in over a week. In the beginning, our mom was able to hide it from us, like a parent sheltering their kid from the death of a pet. Later that year when I had a better understanding of what exactly our family was going through, I realized it was not something to brag about to my classmates and conversely the opposite.
My red initialed backpack that I had received as a gift 3 years prior, was beginning to deteriorate. I approached my mom and told her I needed a new backpack. "Your father and I have agreed to what each of us are going to buy for you guys. Your dad is responsible for all school related supplies," she explained to me. So the next day when I brought my self and all my belongings to my dad's house I told him I needed a new backpack. "I PAY YOUR MOM OVER $2,000 A MONTH IN CHILD SUPPORT AND SHE CAN'T BUY YOU A BACKPACK?!," he yelled at me although I was simply asking for a new backpack and doing what my mom had said. So then I went on with my school year ignoring the holes in backpack and the fact that it was heavier than my other classmates because it was filled with my things that I needed to transport from house to house, and not just school supplies.
While coming home to the same house, the same room, and the same bed seems natural for most children, for me that would feel like a luxury. I spent my childhood switching houses, and imprisoned in my parent's constant arguments about child support, and custody. In most cases, a well-balanced family creates a sense of security for children and when I was stripped of that, I felt scared and alone. I realised then that because my parents were entangled in their own battles, with each other and within themselves, that I would have to begin looking after myself.
I developed a pest that was always with me, constantly reminding me that I would never have a good family life like my friends did. I would go to their houses and be envious of the way everyone, mom and dad, would sit down for dinner. Although statistics would show that children of divorce are more likely to get divorced when they are adults, I know I will do whatever I can to ensure that my future family will be tight and strong. I would never be able to put a kid through the unnecessary stress, anxiety, and depression that comes along with being a child of divorce. Resilient people are able to respond to adversity by finding some way to benefit them. I know my childhood has not been ideal but because of that, I have learned to overcome things that I cannot control, and work for the best in the things that I can.