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Finding Solace

In the course of my life so far, I have never really been in the “in” crowd. I was never really given a chance, yet also because of my family’s expectations. I was expected, as the oldest child, to maintain a good, positive image for my younger sibling, and also to maintain a 4.0 GPA as proof to my parents that I was doing my job as a student to get the best possible grades.

My peers only knew me as “the girl that’s really smart, and has a weird name.” I was to my parents “an incorrigible and head strong child” who sometimes did what she was told, and sometimes didn’t.

Under the constant pressure of both my parents and my peers, I was desperate for relief of any kind, even if it meant suicide. I finally found my solace in books. Those wonderful things that can take you to anywhere you want to go, and have surprises in store for even the most wary and alert of readers.

Books became the highlight of my life. I loved going to the library, with its vast amount of knowledge and wonderful adventures in store for every reader. When I am reading a book, gone are all the worries and pressure. I could be anyone and anywhere I wanted to be.

However, I soon realized that books could also distract me from my studies, so I had to force myself to put them down in order to maintain my hard-earned GPA. It was a struggle for me every night to stop reading books to do what my parents required me to do.

Finally, I found my balance between the two, and life was all right. I sometimes grew angry with the author for writing an ending a specific way, so when my English teacher suggested that I try writing some endings, I took her up on that idea, and really began to enjoy writing, too. Writing helped me to sort out my ideas and thoughts. I had truly found my passion.

Reading and writing helped me to get away from the pressure of the outside world. They gave me a freedom to call my own. I could soar off to distant lands in books, but if I did not like what I saw, I could write my own version. I am thankful to my librarian who introduced me to books, and my teacher who helped me to find my own ideas.

Though life is still full of pressures, I am able to handle all that life throws in front of me with the help of my thoughts and the aide of my dreams.

Article provided by www.nextSTEPmag.com

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