It seems as if only yesterday I was sitting in my third grade classroom daydreaming about my high school graduation.  Little did I know how long the journey would be. 

To me, when I was young, it felt like time moved so slow. I was never in a rush to grow up, in fact I dreaded the day of my thirteenth birthday, but I was always anxious for when was summer coming, or when is school going to be over?  Waking up that morning started as usual, and then I remembered it was my birthday.  My sister called to wish me a happy birthday early morning and when I hung up it finally hit me that I was no longer going to be a little girl any more.  I cried.  My mom came into the room thinking that my sister had given me bad news, but I knew I couldn’t tell my mom why I was crying; I felt that she just wouldn’t understand why this day was so disappointing to me.  From that point I knew that I would have more responsibilities and important things to worry about. That’s why I never understood why my peers were in such a rush to grow up.  In my opinion being an adult isn’t all that its cracked up to be. But until that day came, when I would be a responsible adult, I just wanted to enjoy life while I was still young and had nothing to worry about; though life is what you make of it.

My mom and my sister have been a huge influence in my life.  I value their opinions very much.  They’ve always taught me to be fair and honest even though the world may not be that way.  When I go to them for advice they try to give two points of views and never force me to choose; only knowing in their minds that I will make the right decision.  I don’t think they know how much I appreciate that; it has only helped me to grow into the young woman that I am today with my own mind and opinion.

Getting an education to me is very important. For me it’s my foundation. I enjoy learning and trying new things.  Knowledge is way for me to explore and experience the world.  Because ignorance is the ball and chain that holds people back from seeing and knowing the truth.  One day after school while I was walking to the parking lot I stop to read one of the banners in our school hall that read, “Reading will take you everywhere for free,” and then went about my day. Then at work that day a gentleman came in and asked me what we had to offer, I showed him our menu and told him that plate descriptions were on the back.  He handed me the menu back and said, “Can you just tell me what y’all have, I don’t know how to read.” I helped him with his order and when he left I thought to myself, wow, because I had read the banner earlier that day.

So now I sit here looking back on the seventeen years of my life; time moved so slow.  When I turned eighteen, and second semester of my senior year came and went like summer rain, my nephews are growing up right before my eyes, my little brother is starting junior high, and I wished time moved slow.  Summer is fading fast; it feels like only yesterday I was graduating high school.  I know I can’t slow down time; only to make memories of it and keep living, no matter how fast time flies.  In the fall I will be going to North Harris for my Associates of Science Degree and transfer to the University of Houston for postgraduate work to become a CPA.