I found Richard Rodriguez’s piece “The Acheivement of Desire” to be very interesting. I never really thought about the distance that education can bring before reading this. However, as I continue on in my college career, I see this concept in my life. Although my parents aren’t uneducated like Rodriguez’s parents, they grew up in entirely different eras than me. My dad is already 67 and my mom is 58. The more time I spend away from them, the more distant I feel. I know this is natural, but certain things have changed. It’s weird to me that I have more things to say to my mom when I’m on the phone with her rather than when I spend time with her over break. And how all of our conversations revolve around my classes, my major, or my “life plan.” Gone are the days when we could chat about almost anything. The same goes with my friends from high school. I was so sure that we’d all keep in touch, but I was wrong. Besides a few people, it feels like there is nothing to say. It’s not like these changes were intentional. The distance that further education made has created a gap between us. Before, my family and friends watched me grow and change, and I did the same. Now, we continue to do so without each other’s company. I’ve began taking steps to shape my life into what I want it to be on my own. College has been fun, but like Rodriguez, I long to go back to the time when my relationships were strong, comfortable and safe. I’m looking forward to the few weeks of summer before I start working and taking more classes to catch up with my family and long lost friends. I haven’t gotten to the place of acceptance that Rodriguez reached at the end of his schooling, but I know that eventually I will.
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