It’s Not Easy… by Madison Hansel
“The students were reminded by none other than Kermit the Frog that ‘It’s not easy being green.’ They were then asked to consider what about their lives is ‘not easy.’ The students’ essays on this topic were excellent. Here is an example.” Don Riesett, Writing Mentor & Teacher
It’s not easy being me. Now I could list probably 10 reasons why it’s not easy to be me. For now I’ll just give you one of the major reasons. I am the first in my family who is planning to go to college and get a degree.
My mother went to Mervo and did part-time cosmetology so she could become a cosmetologist by the time she graduated high school. She then worked in salons until she had to quit to take care of me. I would get sick a lot when I was little because of my asthma, and in pre-k I missed 30 days of school because of my asthma. She started working from home and took some of her customers to her hair station in our basement.
My father was really smart in school, mainly when it came to math and science. He went to Poly. He wasn’t a fan of school and dropped out in the 10th grade to start working with his older brother. He is now a contractor and does home improvement. He is really good at his job, but wishes he had finished school so he could be making more money than he does now.
One of my older cousins, who I used to be really close to and looked up to, really disappointed me when she dropped out of school her senior year. I realized she wasn’t a positive influence to look up to and I shouldn’t be like her, so from her I learned what not to do. She was really good at school until she was 15, then she started losing motivation and gave up on everything. Now, she works at a doggie daycare.
I have two younger sisters that I try to set an example for even though I don’t live with them. I am closer to my sister Mariah who is 15. She tells me that she looks up to me and knows she can do better because of the example I set for her. That means a lot to me. I have always felt I owe something to my siblings because I’m the oldest and I need to do good for them. Even some of my friends look up to me and tell me that they wish they were like me because of my work ethic and mindset.
My best friend helped me realize I shouldn’t let people tell me what I can and cannot do. When I first told people I wanted to be an Ultrasound Technician, some told me that it is harder than nursing, and made me question myself. When I told my best friend that she told me that I should go for it because I am self-disciplined, don’t procrastinate, and I have a lot of motivation to get things done right away.
My boyfriend, Joel, gets upset at me sometimes because he says my expectations for myself are too high. I disagree with him because I expect myself to do the best so when I do less than that it motivates me to do better. I don’t expect the bare minimum for myself because then I will succeed every time.
When school first started I took a break from everyone. I realized I was talking to so many people and listening to everything about them and I wasn’t paying any attention to my own wants or needs. I went mute. It affected everyone around me because they thought something was wrong. Myshell thought I didn’t care about what she had to say, Joel thought I was detaching from him. And my parents were worried because I barely would talk. But mentally I was exhausted and I couldn’t help anyone and be a good friend.
I have been under a lot of pressure to succeed from all of the people around me. But I am my biggest enemy in a way. I don’t really care what someone else has to say about me but if I do less than what I planned to do, it really affects me in a negative way. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well because I want to do good for my family, friends, and my boyfriend. It’s not easy being there for everyone and myself.
Madison Hansel
September 27, 2024