I can’t even begin to explain how many times I have been criticized for who I am, what I do, and what I want to be. “Do you worship Satan? Why do that when you can do so much more? Oh, you must be rich.” Those are just some of the common accusations I have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. It truly sucks having to explain your life to people who will just never understand. Although it gets annoying, I wouldn’t change a single aspect about my life.

My taste in music is a particular aspect I get criticized for. Unlike the mainstream hip-hop and rap that a typical teenager listens to, I prefer heavier rock and metal. As expected, I get the stereotype of a Satan worshiper. I will tell you first hand, I am NOT a Satan worshiper whatsoever. That’s just like me claiming that all people who listen to rap are gangbangers and smoke weed. Every individual has their own taste in music, but that doesn’t define someone. Metal, to me, has much more meaning and heart put into it that you can feel in the lyrics. That is why I listen to it and no one will make me change.

I also get a lot of people that judge me based on my grades. My grades aren’t bad at all (straight A’s for the most part) and that is exactly why so many people bug me about them. My passion is cars. I have always wanted to own my own garage for restoring old cars and making them faster. This is where I run into problems. Whenever I tell someone what I want to do they question, “why that? You could do so much more than be a grease monkey? Why don’t you be a doctor or aeronautical engineer?” I always give the same response, “It’s what I love doing.” I don’t see a problem in that, but apparently there is.

Finally, people assume that I’m rich. My primary residency is in the suburbs, Hockessin more specifically. There is no doubt, that as a whole, Hockessin is an expensive community. So you must be thinking that I really am rich. Well, you don’t know me. Back when my parents were together, they bought the house in Hockessin and payed in full using inheritance from my mom’s side of the family. Later on, my dad had to quit his job at DuPont and then my parents got a divorce. My dad had to find a job and a place to live. He got a job that was enough to support us and moved in with his parents. My mom blew through the rest of her money and is now considering selling the house in Hockessin because she cannot afford it much longer. Everything turned around (in the wrong direction) real quick for us, but we’re still making it work. Even though I wish we didn’t have to worry about money, it has been a learning experience that has shaped who I am.

I could really go without all of the assumptions made about me, but at the end of the day, it’s my life and I could care less about your opinion. No matter what vulgar or harsh words people throw at me, they cannot change me. I am extremely impressed with how far I have come and proud to be the way I am.