How The World Works
Everyone in the room fixed their attention on me as I slowly came to the realization of what I had said. Several arguments and questions later, I continued to stand my ground.
Why did everyone believe that success was measured by money? What about achieving happiness and learning to love and find yourself?
My father would often reply to such a question with "You're too young to understand."
Almost three years later, I reminisce to simpler times when I just wanted to feel my hair through the wind and eat ice cream until I had a brain freeze. What would the Tiffany now say to the Tiffany in elementary school if she had asked about the world? I laugh when I realize I would've said exactly what my father had said; there was truth to his statement.
But perhaps in my father's eyes, I am still too young to understand how the world works and why my family thinks the way they do. But I do know that I am not too young to look at the world, to think for myself, and to challenge the beliefs that seem so stereotypical to me. I challenged the idea that success stems from wealth, that grades define a person's intelligence, and that certain careers meant an unstable future. I simply refuse to believe that the path I take will result in failure. Instead, I want to believe that, despite the many obstacles I will come across, I will always be doing what I love.
Cover Photo by Woody Chen. Edited by Madison Case.
