Casa De Morrill

Growing up, my parents really pushed me towards doing a few concentrated things. They wanted me to play the piano, play the cello and do really well in school. They wanted me to concentrate so that I could excel at all of these things. In other words, they wanted me to be successful. So, I did well academically in school. It wasn’t until I went to ASMS that I made my first B in school. I didn’t really have to study hard, actually, until I got into high school and even then until I went to ASMS I was never terribly serious about studying.

So, growing up, I got it into my head that failing at something, be it not playing my cello well or getting a bad grade was a bad thing. Failure was not accepted. My parents also didn’t bother to prepare me for it. Although my brothers were both good to mediocre students, my parents saw that I was doing well and I guess figured that I would always do well. I ranked in the top 5 at Huntsville High School the semester I left to go to ASMS. I got down to Mobile and had the most rude awakening of my life. All of a sudden failure was an option, a very big, very possible option. I actually had to study for my tests because my teachers actually challenged my intelligence.

It took my both years there to come to terms with not always being completely successful with what I did. That meant learning that although I didn’t make an A (or a B), it wasn’t the end of the world. I could pick up the pieces, learn from my failure and try a little harder next time to do better. It was a valuable lesson and most likely helped me survive at Furman. When I got to Furman, there were 2600 students on that campus who all had widely varying interests. Everyone had their niche that they were successful in. I never could find mine at that school. But, it didn’t make me just curl up inside and cry. Instead, I got back up, dusted myself off and tried again to find what I was good at.

I found out that it took getting to UAH to find something that I’m good at. Even today, though, I’m finding that there are a lot of things that I can fail at. It’s all right, though. I’m not the web design goddess that Amy is or the green thumb that Sean is. I’m only mediocre at best at those. But, I am good at programming and I understand it. That’s my niche. Computers.

Children are raised nowadays by highly successful, overdriven parents that teach them that it isn’t all right to fail. Then, when their child does fail, it’s the end of the world for them. I can’t believe any parent could be so cold and callous as to expect their children to be perfect. I mean, I can understand wanting them to excel at whatever they put their minds to. But, also prepare them to fail at at least one thing in their life. Not everybody’s going to be a perfect athlete/student/musician/everything. Sorry, moms and dads of the world. If everybody was perfect, this would be a pretty boring place to live. I wish that I was better at some things, but it’s not the end of the world. In fact, when I make a B in an English class, I’m pretty happy, considering I’ve never enjoyed, much less been good at, writing. But, a B is a pretty good grade since I at least try really hard at doing my best.

That’s all a parent should ask of their child. Just to do their best. That’s all anybody can do. If their best isn’t great, then find something else to do. There is certainly no lack of things to do in this world. And everyone has their niche in the world, you just have to find it.