"Come on,
Nicole."
"We are going
without you!"
"I'm coming,
I'm coming!"
I never wanted to be
the kid that was left behind. If my sisters could do it, so could I. This was
seen in practically every aspect of my life. They took AP classes, were
cheerleaders, class presidents, had jobs… And although I was a year behind
them, I walked almost perfectly in their footsteps.
Growing up, well
into my high school years, I followed this path. One of the main aspects of my
sisters' lives that I always admired was their love for literature. As with
school and extracurricular activities, I didn't want to be left behind when
they would stay up late on school nights and weekends reading fantastic stories
and then discussing plots, themes, rhetorical devices, and sharing reactions to
the twists and surprises that came with each page. In the mornings I would then
wait for them to come out of their room so that I could be the next one in line
to read the book. And while I enjoyed that for a while, it always felt like I
was playing catch up. Running and getting so close, but always somehow falling
so far behind.
During my junior
year of high school everything changed. My sisters were moving on, one was
headed off to college and the other was enjoying her senior year. Their
interests began to change and I realized that I could no longer follow them
like I was so comfortable doing. It was time that I found who I was. During
this time I took AP English Language and Composition and I fell in love. I
could now pick out all the rhetorical devices in a text, analyze plots and
themes, and find my own books to bring to my sisters to read. Not only did I
catch up, but it finally felt like the race had subsided. We were now all
walking along the same path, helping each other along the way. I was no longer
on the sidelines, but rather a participating member engaged in the late night
conversations and daily book exchange.
Since that year,
mine and my sisters’ interests have evolved. While they chose the math and
science fields, I decided to take the route of English. With this my world has
become one that is filled with the joys of reading and studying all aspects of
the English language.
A dominant part of
this world is still reading and recommending books to my sisters so that when
we all get together we can have discussions like those nights that seem so long
ago. I have also moved from doing this with my sisters to other family members,
friends, and even random people who I just so happen to strike a conversation
with. Sharing the love I have for books, authors, and even writing styles,
makes me happy. And the sharing of viewpoints and knowledge is like the cherry
on top.
A race is what
brought me into this literary world, but it was the knowledge that I gained
that kept me here.
