Dear whoever,
I hate it how people always assume things; this is especially annoying for me. There's another girl at my school who uses a walker, but she's in special ed. and I'm not. People always seem to think that we have the same issues, even though we don't. I also can't stand how whenever I bring up college, everyone thinks my only choice is to live at home. I really don't want to live at home, because then it would make me feel like I'm still in high school, and I still depend on my parents. I want college to be different; I want people to actually take me seriously, and see who I really am without any of the barriers I have in high school because of the teachers and whatever. I don't want people thinking I'm some kind of lost cause who won't make it in the world, who can't think for herself, or have opinions, or actually be worth being more than an acquaintance with. I'm not fragile, and I want people to realize that; I'm much more than they think I am, and no one bothers to find that out. It's hard in high school since there are so many people watching over me all the time, and I can't do what I want when I want. When people first see me, they assume I'm going to end up doing some kind of job that just about anyone can do since I have no other choice, or that I'm not even going to college at all, and I'll be living at home doing nothing until my parents can't take care of me. The truth is, I have goals, and dreams. I want a life. I want a job doing what I love. I want kids. I want to fall in love with someone who loves me for every little bit of me, even the stuff most people are scared to talk to me because of, or that people think I'm weird because of. I want people to see that I really am smart, and I can be funny, I'm one of the nicest and most loyal people you could ever meet, and I really am worth being friends with. I want to be my own person, not what people see me as. That's what going away to school would do for me. I can be whatever I want to be without anything or anyone holding me back. I know it's going to be hard to get to where I want to be, but I have 2 years, and I know I can do it, regardless of what people think. I know I can do it, and more importantly, doing it is what's going to make me happiest...and that's what going to motivate me most.
-Emily
P.S. Sorry about this being long; I had no clue I had this much to say. You don't have to read it if you don't want to.