"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.
Your last sentence is fantastic. I had some similar experiences with my siblings and I think it's important to share the literary knowledge that you have learned at college, so it is cool that you and your sisters still swap book recommendations.
ReplyDeleteNicole, I loved this! You stuck with the theme of a "race," but I particularly liked when you mentioned how you could finally just "walk" with your sisters instead of worrying about being too far behind. Your writing style is so relatable! Whether your readers have siblings or not, they can definitely relate to what you were writing about!
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh, because I could recognize myself in it. I don't have any older siblings, but I always found myself trying to keep up with my friends/peers. I picture the cheerleaders staying up late and swapping ideas about rhetorical plots though...haha way to be!
ReplyDeleteHaha I guess you could say that my family was a bit interesting! Seriously you had to be competitive to keep up with the both of them! But looking back it's a little funny to think that that was the way we filled up our Friday nights.
DeleteI'm the oldest child in the family so I never had these problems. I have heard about it from those who did, though. It's hard for me to imagine. I would've hated it, I think.
ReplyDeleteI love that you learned about people from your many literary adventures--not only yourself, eventually, bur also your sisters. Even though they have chosen different academic paths, there is still a bond between you from your love of books. There is a lot to be learned from a person's opinions about a book!
ReplyDeleteI think everyone that has siblings can relate to this concept of trying to catch up to or stay ahead of one another in some aspect of life. For some families it's sports, or academics, or music. It's great that you and your sisters had this relationship in an aspect of life that can be so beneficial.
ReplyDelete