What Will You Give Back?

I used to go on long walks looking for a sign — a sign from God.

I am a first generation American.

Everyone before me was a Mexican.

Most of my ancestors were probably laborers, working in the fields, tending to other people’s gardens.

In other words, my parents and grandparents and great grandparents all grew up in poverty.

So, it was only natural that I grew up working class.

My parents left Mexico so my brothers and I could experience “a better life”.

I’m guessing they wanted us to live the American dream?

One thing I’ve realized is that: growing up in the United States is significantly different from growing up in Mexico.

I’ve never been to Mexico so this is just from my perspective.

And, when your parents are from a different country, it’s difficult to relate to them, and they have trouble relating to you.

At one point I even had an identity crisis because I didn’t know who I was anymore.

I felt like a fish out of water.

I yearned to belong somewhere.

Of course when I tried to explain this to my parents, they didn’t understand the big picture.

My parents usually belittle me: they treat me like a little kid or a big baby.

There are many times when they don’t take me very seriously.

For example:

My father doesn’t believe in my dream of owning a multi-million dollar organization,

And my mother refuses to believe that her son has bipolar disorder.

Growing up is difficult:

I know that I am only twenty years old, but when I ask myself these types of moralistic questions, I feel like I’m an old man.

Life has a way of throwing obstacles and challenges at you.

What’s funny is that you create your own difficulties.

I don’t believe that there is a point to life.

I believe that you have to create meaning.

You won’t be remembered by who you are.

You’ll be remembered by what you gave back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Power with Humility

The bureaucracy of a higher education: I have so much to say, yet words aren’t enough to express my emotions. I had an unsettling period in my life as a freshman in high school. I was the first one in my Mexican family to attend a public high school, and I was also suffering from symptoms of bipolar disorder. In my mind, no one seemed to care about my mental health issues. Growing up is as hard as it is. You don’t get to choose your parents, you don’t get to choose if you grow up lower, middle, or upper class, and, you don’t get to choose your siblings.

 

In movies, cartoons, video games, life can be seen as a utopia, a heaven on earth! But, in the real world, we’re subject to racism, climate change, social media, peer pressures. I wish there didn’t have to be any conflict in the world. I wish the world could be a peaceful paradise.

The winter is coming along, and I’m having those moments of anger, those moments of stress. I felt like giving up many times before. Those are just my insecurities talking. I don’t hate my life; I’m just struggling to understand it. The struggle is real for many teenagers and young adults. I for one believe that it’s more difficult to be a teenager than it is to be a mature adult. Forget about the term mid-life crisis, some teens are already going through something similar.

Eventually things will work out… sometimes a little bit of conflict can be a good thing. Depression can be seen as motivation to improve your life. Whatever happens, be determined and show them how it’s done.

 

 

Yes I Can

The Game has its ups and downs, but you can never lose focus of your individual goals and you can’t let yourself be beat because of lack of effort.

— Michael Jordan