by Pedro Velazquez
Expectations are put on almost everybody. They are all different in their own ways, but one thing we can all agree on is that it sucks when you don’t live up to them. Not only do you let other people down, but you also are left feeling disappointed.
As a kid, I was always expected to do good in school, and I had no problem doing that because it’s not really that hard to do what you’re told as a kid. So basically, I would describe myself as a perfect student and child in a sense because I was doing what my parents wanted me to do. As I grew into a teenager, I was just studying and doing good in school, but then something changed.
In my final years of middle school and right before high school, I had to move school districts. As a result, I began hanging out with different people. I did things I wouldn’t have done before, but I wanted to fit in with the others by any means. I started messing around in the streets, skipping school, and ended up getting failing grades. After a while, my family really just gave up on me.
At first, I really didn’t care because why would I? I was doing what I wanted to do, I was going through that teenage phase where I just wanted space, I thought I knew everything.
As I began to mature and really thought about what I was doing, I felt bad. Not only was I messing up my future, but the worst part was coming home and being ostracized in a way almost. When your family isn’t there giving you that support you need especially at such a vulnerable age, that hurts. Constantly coming back to that made me reflect on how my behavior was affecting me and those around me.
When you start to lose the support of those who are supposed to care for you, it really gets to you. You begin to feel a certain type of way that I can’t really describe, but it definitely doesn’t feel good.
As a kid, I was always expected to do good in school, and I had no problem doing that because it’s not really that hard to do what you’re told as a kid. So basically, I would describe myself as a perfect student and child in a sense because I was doing what my parents wanted me to do. As I grew into a teenager, I was just studying and doing good in school, but then something changed.
In my final years of middle school and right before high school, I had to move school districts. As a result, I began hanging out with different people. I did things I wouldn’t have done before, but I wanted to fit in with the others by any means. I started messing around in the streets, skipping school, and ended up getting failing grades. After a while, my family really just gave up on me.
At first, I really didn’t care because why would I? I was doing what I wanted to do, I was going through that teenage phase where I just wanted space, I thought I knew everything.
As I began to mature and really thought about what I was doing, I felt bad. Not only was I messing up my future, but the worst part was coming home and being ostracized in a way almost. When your family isn’t there giving you that support you need especially at such a vulnerable age, that hurts. Constantly coming back to that made me reflect on how my behavior was affecting me and those around me.
When you start to lose the support of those who are supposed to care for you, it really gets to you. You begin to feel a certain type of way that I can’t really describe, but it definitely doesn’t feel good.