Personal Narrative: What Confines Me
Looking at the bigger picture of my life, the things I have done and things I will do, it can be difficult to focus on who I really am. There are many awards, accomplishments, and experiences I am proud of but, do they really define me? This is a question I believe many of us do not ask ourselves, but it is one we should begin to ask; who am I and what defines me? It seems like quite a simple question but I am sure that I am not the only one who struggles to know who I really am. So, how do I find what defines me, by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Being the first generation in my family to be born in the United States may sound interesting to others, however, I can tell you it is not all it’s cracked up to be. My parents
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were born in Italy and both moved here as young adults. Growing up in this household has had its struggles since I was a kid. Neither of my parents went to college and my dad never completed high school. Then, starting elementary school was difficult due to the fact that I knew very little English, and my parents always struggled to aid me in school work because they also knew little English. I grew more frustrated with my parents as they continued to be unhelpful in school and as they became stricter with my schoolwork. Eventually, I became discontent with my family life and wondered why I was left to deal with something, that at the time, seemed to be a disadvantage.
I had this view of my personal background all the way up until high school.
By then, I had been to Italy twice and began to realize how incredibly beautiful and unique the country and its culture is. These experiences allowed me to realize my parent's strictness at home because, from their point of view they did not want me to be in the working class as they have been their whole lives. I began to accept it and wanted to know more about the culture and their lives as I grew older. As a high schooler, I came to the realization that my family’s background and culture made me unique. Realizing this uniqueness made me embrace it and finally realize how extraordinary it is to have a different cultural heritage. As a kid I did not enjoy telling my friends some of the strange methods my family has; for example, my whole family pours the milk in before the cereal. This is normally an enormous shock to my friends when I reveal this secret and I initially found it embarrassing but now, it is simply amusing to tell people this family secret. If it was not for the embracement of my culture and background, I would not have the pleasure to enjoy these simple things in my life and would still be the child that I was when I did not accept who I
was.
were born in Italy and both moved here as young adults. Growing up in this household has had its struggles since I was a kid. Neither of my parents went to college and my dad never completed high school. Then, starting elementary school was difficult due to the fact that I knew very little English, and my parents always struggled to aid me in school work because they also knew little English. I grew more frustrated with my parents as they continued to be unhelpful in school and as they became stricter with my schoolwork. Eventually, I became discontent with my family life and wondered why I was left to deal with something, that at the time, seemed to be a disadvantage.
I had this view of my personal background all the way up until high school.
By then, I had been to Italy twice and began to realize how incredibly beautiful and unique the country and its culture is. These experiences allowed me to realize my parent's strictness at home because, from their point of view they did not want me to be in the working class as they have been their whole lives. I began to accept it and wanted to know more about the culture and their lives as I grew older. As a high schooler, I came to the realization that my family’s background and culture made me unique. Realizing this uniqueness made me embrace it and finally realize how extraordinary it is to have a different cultural heritage. As a kid I did not enjoy telling my friends some of the strange methods my family has; for example, my whole family pours the milk in before the cereal. This is normally an enormous shock to my friends when I reveal this secret and I initially found it embarrassing but now, it is simply amusing to tell people this family secret. If it was not for the embracement of my culture and background, I would not have the pleasure to enjoy these simple things in my life and would still be the child that I was when I did not accept who I
was.