Any criticism appreciated!!!
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Superwoman, Silenced
For many, the world doesn't crumble in accordance with the Mayan calendar, but rather when they discover that their idol doesn't appear next to the word perfect in the dictionary. For me, the day that I realized my idol's imperfections is the day that I became, me.
For the first decade and a half of my life, people asked if my mom had a tumor on her side-not because I grew so quickly, but because I was always attached to her. In everything I did, I tried to emulate her prowess because to me, she was Superwoman; she was the chef, the interior designer, the doctor, the painter, the singer, the maid, the author, all while being the mother. Seeing that she was skillful at everything she did, it was only logical for me to aspire to be like her.
My mother's advice was wiser than any god's, so every time she opened her mouth to speak, I scribed a more personal version of the Ten Commandments. If she told me to eat the weird shriveled squiggles known as calamari, I hesitantly would. Likewise, if she told me to eat chocolate for dinner, I gladly would. The breadth and depth of her knowledge was unfathomable to me as a child, so I trusted in all that she knew, and did all that she told me.
As I journeyed through high school and the International Baccalaureate Program, I changed-I came to see her words as a guide, and not a law. My classes taught me to be analytical and I learned to formulate my own opinions. For instance, throughout the first 15 years of my life, my mother told me that I would never be able to run because of my severe asthma. She didn't offer these words to discourage me, but instead to protect me. Since she is a physician specializing in the care of children's lungs, I respected her knowledge and always brushed off offers to play games that involved running. Remembering the inhaler I took every morning to control my asthma, I didn't want to risk disappointing my mother by disobeying her words of protection. However, by my junior year, I was introduced to Theory of Knowledge and I began questioning every "expert"-including my mother. That spring, I joined track and competed in the 100 and 200 meter dashes because I no longer trusted that I wasn't physically able to run. At first, my lungs felt weak and tiny, unable to consume the necessary oxygen to complete a race, but my legs felt like a horse's: powerful and able. In time, I could run-I finished a race, contrary to my beloved mother's expectations. Since then, I've seen the words of my mother as nurturing, but at times overprotective; I heed what she advises, but only if it aligns with my expectations and perception of myself and the world. I have a mind of my own, and I intend to use it.
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Superwoman, Silenced
For many, the world doesn't crumble in accordance with the Mayan calendar, but rather when they discover that their idol doesn't appear next to the word perfect in the dictionary. For me, the day that I realized my idol's imperfections is the day that I became, me.
For the first decade and a half of my life, people asked if my mom had a tumor on her side-not because I grew so quickly, but because I was always attached to her. In everything I did, I tried to emulate her prowess because to me, she was Superwoman; she was the chef, the interior designer, the doctor, the painter, the singer, the maid, the author, all while being the mother. Seeing that she was skillful at everything she did, it was only logical for me to aspire to be like her.
My mother's advice was wiser than any god's, so every time she opened her mouth to speak, I scribed a more personal version of the Ten Commandments. If she told me to eat the weird shriveled squiggles known as calamari, I hesitantly would. Likewise, if she told me to eat chocolate for dinner, I gladly would. The breadth and depth of her knowledge was unfathomable to me as a child, so I trusted in all that she knew, and did all that she told me.
As I journeyed through high school and the International Baccalaureate Program, I changed-I came to see her words as a guide, and not a law. My classes taught me to be analytical and I learned to formulate my own opinions. For instance, throughout the first 15 years of my life, my mother told me that I would never be able to run because of my severe asthma. She didn't offer these words to discourage me, but instead to protect me. Since she is a physician specializing in the care of children's lungs, I respected her knowledge and always brushed off offers to play games that involved running. Remembering the inhaler I took every morning to control my asthma, I didn't want to risk disappointing my mother by disobeying her words of protection. However, by my junior year, I was introduced to Theory of Knowledge and I began questioning every "expert"-including my mother. That spring, I joined track and competed in the 100 and 200 meter dashes because I no longer trusted that I wasn't physically able to run. At first, my lungs felt weak and tiny, unable to consume the necessary oxygen to complete a race, but my legs felt like a horse's: powerful and able. In time, I could run-I finished a race, contrary to my beloved mother's expectations. Since then, I've seen the words of my mother as nurturing, but at times overprotective; I heed what she advises, but only if it aligns with my expectations and perception of myself and the world. I have a mind of my own, and I intend to use it.