Something that gnaws at me everyday…Is the improbability that I will ever have the approval of my parents…It always puts me to tears…
I finished high school…But I didn’t graduate valedictorian/saludictorian (I did graduate with high honors, 3.8 GPA).
I really wanted to go into fashion, but it wasn’t something that was offered at the university I went to (AND they told me that it wasn’t “stable” and wouldn’t make money). I went through 4 years of college (almost graduated cum laude 3.55 GPA), majored in psychology but ended up not working in that field. Now, they always tell me “look at where your major got you, nowhere”.
I felt lost at that point, but never regretful that I had taken psychology & had become better educated on how to deal with people… So wanting to please them, I went into the medical field.
At first was medical assisting & I went through the program, but in the days of externship, I found that I didn’t like being ordered around by the nurse who expected me to know everything on the 1st day and verbally implied that I was stupid… I, a college graduate, stupid? NOPE LOL.
I had roomed a patient during my externship and told her that I had graduated in psychology and she asked, “…You have a lot going for you, what are you doing here?” So I told this patient of my dream to do fashion design & of my parents’ disapproval and she looked me in the eye, “…No, you do something that you want to do, that you LOVE. Is fashion your passion? You really don’t belong here… Please don’t give up on your dream.”
So a few days after that, when I came home from a particularly hard day at externship, I came out & told my mom that I had quit medical assisting. Of course, she blew up which was understandable seeing that she had put me through the school & I was kicked out from my house…My boyfriend & his family were kind enough to let me stay with them for a few months & so I began to think of what I wanted to do next…
Phlebotomy (blood draw). It was actually my favorite thing to do in the lab part during my medical assisting course…And I was pretty good at it. So I told my dad what I wanted to do & seeing that it was part of the medical field (which is what they wanted me to not stray from), he agreed & I went through the course, went through externship, got hired to the company that I had wanted to work for…During this time, my mom was really discouraging & would say things like “you’re not gonna make it, you’re gonna quit like last time”…
I like my current job, when things go smoothly lol. I was scared to be interacting with people, especially other workers, but I’ve met nothing but nice people (the patients are another story). But my parents always express now “we don’t want you to work as a phlebotomist forever, do medical technologist or pharmacy tech or some other ‘higher pay’ job”…I have never let go of my dream to do fashion design. My parents are really pushing me to do medical technologist, but I just don’t have an interest in it and think if I take it, it would just to be to please them…That is the thing they don’t understand, I don’t HAVE AN INTEREST in what they want me to do. I believe that if you go into a career field, you MUST have an interest in it.
…I fantasize about spending time at home, sewing non-stop, putting together a beautiful dress…I know that I can do it. When I’ve had sewing projects, I’ve spent 5+ hours straight sewing because I loved what I was doing and it made me feel good about myself…And of all the things I’ve sewn, I’ve been able to sell them. I felt a sense of pride when I wore the things that I made out & people stopped to ask me about it…”I want your wardrobe! Make me something!” They would say, it made me so happy :)
…So, I have been pushed to the point. I made a decision tonight, I will NOT be pursuing anything else in the medical field—phlebotomist is as far as I will go. If I were to go on, what would be the point? I wouldn’t be happy, I would just be trying to make someone else happy & it would never happen. I am going to be 25 this year & feel like I have gone through my school years being “pushed” to do certain things that I didn’t want to, to please my parents…I am slowly coming to accept that nothing that I do will be enough for them. It’s strange, my boyfriend, friends & the people outside of my family are the most supportive of me. They are the ones who tell me that I CAN do what I hope to do.
I’m going to slowly ease into sewing again and crafting projects…Maybe learn makeup too, I’m not very good at it but I like to play around with it haha. I think I will be more happy doing something that lets me be creative.
…And to all of you who read this, thank you so much for supporting me, encouraging me, and for telling me to never give up. Honestly, when I DO feel like giving up, I think of all of you and what you’ve said to me <3