Difficult Childhood free essay sample

Childhood After reading â€Å"The Sanctuary of School† by Linda Barry I figured out that we share some similar life experiences. Our similar experiences include growing up in poor families, crowded households, and positive educators that shaped our lives. At the same time, there are many differences in our background. She grew up in an urban place, and I grew up in a rural area. Linda’s childhood was very unhappy while mine was happy. She was neglected and I was well taken care of as a child. She also overcame all obstacles to her success in education, while I could not obtain an education because of the absence of an educational institution. To begin with, we both grew up in poor families. When Linda Berry was a child her parents were going through economic problems. Her parents used to argue because they were having a difficult time financially. My parents also used to argue because of money. We will write a custom essay sample on Difficult Childhood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My dad was â€Å"self-employed. † He farmed a small plot of land and harvested what he planted once a year. Another way to get some money was selling cattle. He used to do that when the situation became difficult. Throughout the year, there were very few times when he would be able to get some money; when he did, he would go to the city to buy some food and he would spend the rest of money with his friends having fun, mainly drinking alcohol. Despite this similarity, our lives were different somehow. Linda grew up in an urban area where she had electricity. She was able to watch television at night. As she described it, â€Å"We slept on the couch, something that we actually liked because it put us that much closer to the light of our lives, our television. On the other hand, I grew up in a rural place that did not have electricity. I was eighteen years old when I watched television for the first time. It was while I was visiting the city with my grandmother. I was very fascinated with it. I could not believe my eyes. Another similarity that we have is that we both grew up in overcrowded houses. Linda’s parents regardless of their economic situation would still allow relatives to come to live to their house because they had no place to live. As a result, their problems and discussions were growing. My parents were also doing something similar; they were allowing relatives to live in our house. We were short of many things, such as food, living space, and money. Another contrast is an event in Linda’s childhood that made her very unhappy whereas I grew up as a happy child. She felt very miserable and because of that, one early morning she decided to run away from her house. This adventure was traumatizing for her because she walked alone on dark streets with no people around. Her parents did not even notice her absence. This particular event in her life impacted her because she became aware of her parents’ negligence. Unlike this character’s unhappiness, I had a happy upbringing. Most importantly, I had lots of love from my mother. She was very responsible with me. She cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for me every day. Also, she would have clothes ready for me to go to school every day. For me it was impossible to be ignored by my mother. I would have to ask for permission for almost everything, for playing or to go anywhere. Contrary to Linda, many times I felt suffocated because of â€Å"lack of freedom,† that is what I used to call it. Despite all the difficulties in my childhood, I think that I grew up as a happy child thanks to the care of my mother and thanks to the moments she allowed me to play with other kids. The next similarity that we have is that we both liked going to school and we both had nice and kind teachers. Linda found school as her best refuge. It was a place that would provide her a feeling of protection and care. The teacher liked her and made her feel good. For me school was a comfortable place and I used to go there even when there was no class. The peaceful environment at school used to make me feel good. The same as with Linda, my teachers were good with me. They always welcomed me with a smile, gave me attention, and helped me with homework. Despite our similarities at school, we also have some contrasts. Even though Linda had all this trouble in her life, she never quit school. She found her way through life and became a famous writer. Conversely, I could not keep up with my education because where I grew up there was only an elementary school. My parents did not have money to send me to the city for studying. Reading Linda Berry’s paragraph, â€Å"The Sanctuary of School† helped me to realize of the similarities and contrasts that we all could have. Linda’s childhood was surrounded by negativity, but I think that somehow it helped her to become successful in life. For me, all the difficulties that I went through in my childhood helped me to become the person I am now. Even though I am not a professional like Linda I am very interested and motivated to continue with my education.