Passionate Obsession | Teen Ink

Passionate Obsession

July 7, 2015
By ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.


I Couldn't do it, how could I make myself love a job I hated? Especially when the two careers I really wanted to pursue seemed so close yet so far away? All I had to do was pick up a pencil and start writing. I'd even been accepted into Emory University in Atlanta and The University of Virginia in...Virginia. I wanted nothing to do with MIT, but my parents had different views on that matter.
    I sighed and looked out the window as I drummed my pencil on my desk and completely ignored the professor at the front of the room, lecturing about calculations I could barely do anyway. Unfortunately that would be the only thing this pencil was good for today: taking notes, calculating elaborate problems...doodling?
    My notebook had plenty of room for doodling. I drew a stick figure. The figure had short plain hair like me, she was wearing a simple "stick mini skirt". She was a pretty ordinary stick figure as  far as ordinary stick figures go--which isn't that far    But she was holding up a piece of paper. Her smile seemed to glow so bright it shined through the paper, but maybe that was just me. The girl was proud of her work, scribbled on a piece of scrap paper during a hasty lunch break.
    I looked up at all the other students around me, the ones that actually took this seriously. I looked back down at my pathetic masterpiece. Back up at the students...Back down. Out of all the people here, out of everyone I knew, there was just one--just one single soul--who knew the story behind this simple drawing. A simple drawing in the corner of an otherwise mostly empty notebook, belonging to a quiet girl in the back of a class that she didn't want to be in. Just one person knew the story, the inspiration...the passion...    But that's all it took to make it meaningful.
    That's why, Mom and Dad, I feel like I have to continue writing, take my knowledge of this to a whole new level. Don't get me wrong, I know that my parents are looking out for me, and I really do appreciate it. They want me to be able to support a future family, become a doctor or lawyer or something. But the only two things on Earth I really want to do is write and change the world. I know I can't make a living off of being an author, that's why when I was very little I decided I would also be an ecologist. I can inspire people through my writing and make the world a better place at the same time.
     And I'll never end up in the poor house, no matter how much money I have. Because I'll always have what I need with me: family, love, inspiration, and most importantly: my passionate obsession. And that would mean the world to me.
    To anyone else it might just be a hobby, a favorite pass time, or maybe they don't care. But it means something to me. And if it means something to me, a nobody, a young girl merely trying to find her way, then it's meaningful. And if it's meaningful then it's important. Even if it's only important to one person it's still important and therefore it's worth living for.    I can't take it any more, I thought. I have to get out of here. And then class ended.
    Over the semester my grades began to decline, despite my genuine efforts to keep them up. But it seemed like whenever I should be studying I was writing poem after poem, word after word. And when I was supposed to be paying attention in class, it was all I could do to not think about what I was missing out on. I would stay up late at night searching the websites of colleges I wanted to go to, had even been accepted to.
      After a few weeks of telling my parents that my grades were dropping and that I was working as hard as I could I received a call from them. I let the answering machine get it. It was exactly like you'd expect. They love me, they are proud of me, they are worried about school. They know I'm upset about my future as an engineer, but I need to try harder or they can't help me through school. Call them when I get this.

  And that was when I broke down. Sobbing on my floor, papers and textbooks scattered around me, I thought of what I should tell my parents. I didn't know what I would tell them because I didn't know what I would do. Obviously I can't stay like this, pushing myself to do something that I can't. Pulling myself away from something that seems to be dragging me in.

    But how can I just drop out of college? How can I disappoint my parents like that? They have dedicated so much time, money and effort for me to be here. How can I just quit?
    How can you stay here? I began to argue with myself. How can you bring your grades up when you can't pay attention in class? When you know that it would be so simple to do the things you love? When you know how disappointed you will be if you don't go and live your dream life? Nothing will ever be perfect but you will never be happy here either    I can't. That's the only answer, the only answer to all of these questions. I can't leave; but as much as I can't leave, I can't stay here. And I can't be happy here, and I can't be happy anywhere but there. But what needs to happen? Why should I stay here and follow my parents dream for me? They want me to be able to be happy in the future--so why don't they know the only way I can be happy is by following my dreams?
    So that's the answer? Follow my dreams? What other options do I have?
    Ok then I guess I'll call my parents and tell them, I thought as I reached for the phone. Then I hesitated as a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. No, I won't call them I'll write them a letter    And that's what I did. I wrote them a letter that I will never regret. First I told them how much I loved them and how grateful I was for them, might as well try to soften the blow by telling them the truth. Next I explained I couldn't concentrate when I was studying or when the professor was speaking, I had verses running through my head. I had a whole library of books that I hoped to write up there as well. I needed to choose my own path, I hoped they could understand and I'll tell them when my first novel was published.
    I stuffed the note in an envelope, slapped a stamp on it and addressed it to my home in Washington D.C. With that taken care of I felt much better. I thought of packing my things up and writing a letter to one of the schools I had picked out. But it was already 1:30 in the morning and I was exhausted, plus I thought I might have to think about which one I would actually go to    The next day as I packed my bags I decided Emory University was a good choice for me. First I would major in creative writing and later my other dream job as an ecologist at a different university. It was going to be tough with not a lot of help from my family, if any. Many years of dedication, time, and a lot of cha-ching. I took on three jobs, helped other students out with there reports as needed, charged five extra bucks for each soiled diaper when babysitting parents precious angels. I tried to come out of it with as little debt as possible, unfortunately, that was still quite a large amount of dough.
     But it all played off when I was able to e-mail my parents a copy of my very first novel, a mystery called The Side Effects of Babysitting. Inspired by my many misadventures with those precious angels I mentioned. I got a letter from them that said they were very proud of me. They were glad I followed my dreams and they would see me when I graduated.
    I broke down in tears as I read that letter. But this time it wasn't because I was scared or upset, it was because I  too was proud. I was proud of my parents. And I was proud I followed my passionate obsession.


The author's comments:

Please offer constructive criticism in the comments, I would really appreciate it. I hope some of you can relate and that you can follow your dreams and not your parents, even if those dreams aren't about writing.


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This article has 13 comments.


on Feb. 18 2016 at 1:23 pm
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

Ahhh, gotcha. That you for the advice, I didn't realize when I wrote dough and cha Ching and stuff that it would make such a big difference, I do stuff like that in a lot of writing. I appreciate you advice, it means a lot, so thanks. Maybe at one point in the future I'll get around to editing, rewriting it to make it a lot better, but I haven't been up to it.

riley_foxx said...
on Nov. 23 2015 at 10:05 am
riley_foxx,
0 articles 0 photos 3 comments
Yes, this really is good! I love the characters you incorporated in here.

on Nov. 20 2015 at 11:35 pm
writer-violist DIAMOND, Jenks, Oklahoma
63 articles 4 photos 84 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.&rdquo; <br /> ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Wow! This is amazing! I like your theme and message of this. I also feel what the character feels like with ideas in his/her head. I don't have that many but sometimes I feel like I have a lot of ideas. There are a few grammaticals errors which just happens I have them too. Very nice piece that tells a great message. I would say that the tone towards the end kinda switches. At the beginning it was moreso formal and towards the end you used words like "dough" and "cha-ching" you know of course being a writer that that's the way its supposed to be. I'd like to see more of your writing. Superb job, nice details, and God bless! :)

on Sep. 3 2015 at 6:50 pm
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

Thanks. :) I rushed through this so I didn't do well with the punctuation,and on some other stories as well. And thanks for.pointing out show not tell, as I re read all of my stories I could definitely see that that stuck out a little. You advice was useful.

on Sep. 3 2015 at 6:46 pm
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

Thanks for the advice, it was great. I'll try to remember that and use it where I can.

on Aug. 28 2015 at 1:34 pm
Jtatsu PLATINUM, East Brunswick, New Jersey
26 articles 0 photos 77 comments
I have a lot to say about this piece, but I'll get the criticism over with first because I want to also go over what I liked about it. First, definitely work on punctuation and grammar, as there were definitely some mistakes here and there. Second, I'm sure you're tired of hearing this by now, but show don't tell! You should try being more subtle with certain details and let readers try to figure out certain plot elements on their own without having everything spelled out for them. Other than that, this piece felt realistic and relatable, and I genuinely empathized with your protagonist. Good work!

ellwist SILVER said...
on Aug. 23 2015 at 5:52 pm
ellwist SILVER, Surabaya, Other
6 articles 2 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;They only let you be this happy when they&#039;re preparing to take something from you.&quot; -Khaled Hosseini, the Kite Runner.

This feels more like a non-fiction than a fiction, honestly. I don't know what else to say, other than your connection with your characters and stories is uncanny. I might read your other works and see how they're going too, but if I may offer one suggestion, use that empathy thing in others too--don't be afraid to reach out and do other characters, other stories, using the same empathy and understanding you have now. In this particular, however, I did feel it could've been shortened considering the subject matter. Simplicity is golden (unless you're planning to be one of the longer, description oriented writers,) and strength can be found in the blank space between paragraphs. Like drawing or painting, sometimes you don't need to draw a line to finish a figure--sometimes, you just need to suggest it's there. If that makes sense. (in normal English: ya'll don't tell the reader how you feel, ya'll show it.) Basically, what I'm saying is, your determined attitude humbles me, and now you must strive for improvement. But that's okay, because I'm sure one day I'll find you in my nearest bookstore, and it'll be fantastic.

on Jul. 12 2015 at 9:56 am
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

Thank you so much for you comment it means a lot and I'll try to keep my stories shorter in the future, if I can. I have mystery and a poem waiting to get approved. I will look at your stuff too.

stenova BRONZE said...
on Jul. 11 2015 at 9:19 pm
stenova BRONZE, Trumbull, Connecticut
4 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;&#039;Tis not in mortals to command success, but we&#039;ll do more, Sempronius- we&#039;ll deserve it.&quot;

I agree with all the other comments, a little lengthy but it's filled with so many good things, it sounds really like the narrator was a real person! You're very talented and I can't wait until you write more, I'll certainly be waiting to read them!

on Jul. 9 2015 at 6:20 pm
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

Thank you. And thank you so much for your advice, run on sentences are definitely my worst enemy. I will try to keep that in mind and read my work over more in the future. :)

on Jul. 9 2015 at 6:19 pm
ThisEmilyDa1 SILVER, BF, New Mexico
6 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile<br /> -Albert Instien<br /> the only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

Thank you so much! And I will be sure to email you when my next story is approved.

Adia16 GOLD said...
on Jul. 9 2015 at 12:51 pm
Adia16 GOLD, Nampa, Idaho
16 articles 7 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Sing like no one&#039;s listening, Dance like no ones watching, Love like you&#039;ve never been hurt.&quot;-Unknown

Nice job! Be aware of run on sentences, punctuation, commas, and fragments. For some its a style, try to read it aloud to yourself then have someone else look it over. That way you can develop a nice and clean style that readers are ok with.

wilds PLATINUM said...
on Jul. 8 2015 at 5:27 pm
wilds PLATINUM, Newfane, New York
22 articles 0 photos 92 comments

Favorite Quote:
Brave is not being fearless but being able to overcome those fears you have

Yep, i definitely want to be your number one reader. can you email the other stories you write? melemery47@gmail.com