Islandgirl01

The Time I Learned to Like Something

At a young age I learned I was quite gifted in mathematics, while my older sister was gifted in reading and writing. Due to sibling rivalry I developed a grudge towards anything that had to do with English Literature, since it was quite obvious that she was better than me in the subject. Even though my teachers, parents, and peers all tried to convince me that I was actually fairly good at writing, I would hear none of it. My refusal to see their reasoning is similar to some points made in this New Yorker article. The article discusses how we agree more with facts that support our opinions than studies that contradict us, a behavior that I learned from my parents.

Multiple years later I took my first college-level English class, where we were required to write multiple papers. The difference between the papers I wrote for this class and all the other essays and stories I've ever written were little to none, but I did start to believe that maybe all my past mentors had been right after all. With my completely new mindset I started to enjoy writing my assignments and put more effort into them, focusing on turning in my best work instead of just turning it in.

At the end of the quarter, the English class that I had actually been dreading the most turned out to be my favorite class and resulted in me receiving an A. I had developed a new appreciation for writing and how it can be a great stress-reliever, as well as a fun hobby.

I can now truthfully say that I enjoy writing and that English is one of my favorite subjects. The final decision was a result of time passing, myself maturing, and a new found understanding of the subject that used to be confusing.