Growing Up At A Catholic School

Growing up I went to a Catholic School and the long days of going to Mass and reciting a terribly long bible verse weren't my choice of a lively childhood. Even in distress, I still managed to smile and laugh everyday at school. That's how my life has been. Realizing when something is not creating happiness, I can mask it with a simple movement that used 26 of my facial muscles and my pearly whites.
In this image, I am 4 years old sitting on large stairs with many other kids who seem to be having an amazing time while I on the other hand have a face of sass with my head turned away. I remember hearing the voices of parents and teachers who wanted to get the perfect photo, but it seemed none of us were listening. The sight of the gloomy stairs

1) We are all wearing uniforms, 2)We either wore white or red, and 3) We all look different in our own way. Self expression was an act that was encouraged and discouraged at a Catholic school. There was a common understanding of the words “Every man is created equal” which I believe in completely. God or fate put us here in this same exact moment, millisecond, or minute for a specific reason and no person was wrongly set on this earth. But many children grow up looking at someone different and not treating them equally. At an early age, I realized the difference I had was quite subtle but I never thought it would affect me at a young age and throughout

When you have a goal or dream, you often want to tell a friend. But from my experience the worst is when your friend doesn't think you can do it. Not because it's completely impossible to accomplish but by the color of your skin. Color is an essential to life. I could never imagine a life without color; what would we see? If everything were colorless our lives wouldn't even have beauty nor diversity. Life would be dull and unimportant. We'd just be here living life colorless without hope, without motivation, and without dreams. Was my color a reason my dream couldn't be accomplished? Was my addition to the color palette of the world supposed to stop me from craving to become who I wanted? I certainly don't think so. Soon after my peer told me my dream was simply unattainable. I instantly thought that if a classmate can tell me it won't come true, it is completely over for me. Going back I wish I knew that she was wrong, and to this day I remember that my worth is more valuable than anyone else's