Tag Archives: school

Culprit

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

You got to know, I am not one who knows how to take a compliment or help. Growing up, I am the eldest of three sisters. I basically knew how to take care of myself on my own and I am not familiar with the feeling of being offered help.

I was always top of the class, best in all class subjects,excelled in various extra curricular activities I joined, and was famous for it.

But was I genuinely happy? I think I was. I mean achieving something of that degree was never easy and it took extra effort and diligence. I let people think how they think of it. When they talk about my resumé they make it all sound so easy that when I make a minute mistake or mishap it was so easy for them to discredit all my work. However, again I just let them talk their talk. I go on with my days and live with the pressure of the society, my teachers at school, and my parents. It was bearable, tolerable, at the time.

College happened. And things happen. Going to the city I did not have any expectations. I wish not to excel but to only pass. Because I was away from home it felt a little bit easy for me to take off all the burden from my shoulders and just exist.

My parents, especially my mom, started missing me. I was far from them, alone most of the time, and I barely call them. I was trying to really take the independence all in. Until I experience my first failure. I failed my quizzes and exams and resulted in a fail preliminary mark. I did not cry. It was the first time I felt I am normal. But because I cannot afford, financially, to fail, I studied harder and tried harder. The next exam I got perfect scores including in my quizzes. There were fluctuations in my grades on my first year in college.

I told these to my mom. But only the failure parts. I never told her I got perfect, or passed something, or got a compliment from a professor. I told her only the tough parts.

In this writing prompt, you may be asking, then what’s the positive thing that a family member has done for me?

My mom told me it’s okay. She told me it’s going to be okay. I did not know the word okay could have so much emotion in it. For the first time since I could remember, she never told me ‘you can get it next time’, or ‘there’s always next time’, or ‘you can do it’. For the first time she lifted the pressure off me. She never encouraged me. And that was what all it took for me to keep going.

My mom always knew what to say. Even I could not believe my ears when she told me she accepts any result of my academic journey. She said it’s okay. She was satisfied for the first time.

I like to think that it is distance that was the culprit of this acceptance. Because I was so far away from them, they missed me so much that they will take even the bare minimum. Sometimes distance may be a good thing, you know.

There was no pressure from my parents, until now, whatsoever in how my college journey would end up. And I am so fine and happy with that that I don’t even care anymore what other people say. It was the best or the most positive thing by far a relative has done to me.

And if time and distance were what it took for me to be free of pressure, I wonder what time and distance would do together again for me. Hopefully, heal my broken romantic heart.

Who was he?

Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

I have to admit. My brain right now is like a gated community of memories from the past and I don’t reside there.

I have the worst memory when it comes to strangers. I forget faces easily and I cannot remember names nor associate them with faces. As I inspect every corner of my mind trying to look for answers to this writing prompt, I only wind up to the thoughts of how terrible I am in remembering people.

But wait! I want to share this. I told you I am bad at remembering faces but I joined a school organization, the official school publication to be exact, on my first year in college. On our first meeting I met my fellow writers and conversed a little with them. Before adjournment, it was agreed that there shall be a next meeting for a few matters that need follow-up. I booked the date on my calendar for schedule and went on with my day.

The following day during lunchtime I was out buying food for lunch when I bumped into someone. I can tell he’s a little bit on the feminine side, shorter than most boys, and give extroverted vibes. He asked me, “Are you going there later?” I can tell he’s on a rush or something because again it was lunchtime everybody’s busy and I panicked on how I should answer the question. I don’t recognize who he is. I don’t know where I am supposed to be going later. I don’t have other acquaintances or friends except for my blockmates and the school paper fellows. My mind was buzzing in milliseconds so I answered, “I am going to have to see if I can go.” He was satisfied with the answer and went on. Walking back to the classroom I was still fuzzed with the interaction. Where should I suppose to go and am I supposed to recognize that person?

I checked my calendar for my schedule and turns out I have a meeting with the school publication organization later in the afternoon. I laughed in silence and my mind was like mocking itself. I still do not know who I bumped into but at least I assume he is one of my fellow writers in the organization.

Later that afternoon the meeting commenced and I slightly start to recognize his face. In my mind I was laughing at myself but at the same time proud because looking back, I actually gave a safe and uncringey response to the question.

It took me a while to identify and learn their faces and names but at least I got through it.

People ask me most of the time why I am shy at first or I don’t usually speak or interact. They assume I am a shy person. Well I have to say I am not entirely shy but I am for most first encounters because I am extremely trying to imprint to my brain their faces and match it with their names. I cannot even fathom how to describe how hard I try to remember these things.

The writing prompt asks how this encounter stuck out positively to me. I do not know. This sickness gives me a lot of room for embarassment but it also gives me the rush and excitement. It’s like a guessing game I play with myself.

I definitely learned that I am not like other people and there really are existing people who are great at remembering faces and names.

This feature that I have is actually the reason why I don’t believe in love at first sight. Nevertheless, what’s positive in here is that I was able to find the silver lining in this circumstance. Having fun over something that may cause embarassment is somehow a good thing to take from this.

But hopefully there will be more fun and less embarassment.