Cece's Pick
How Difficult
For years my mother said I was selfish, careless, irresponsible, etc. She was often annoyed. If I argued, she held her hands over her ears. She did what she could to change me but for years I did not change, or if I changed, I could not be sure I had, because a moment never came when my mother said, "You are no longer selfish, careless, irresponsible, etc." Now I'm the one who says to myself, "Why can't you think of others first, why don't you pay attention to what you're doing, why don't you remember what has to be done?" I am annoyed. I sympathize with my mother. How difficult I am! But I can't say this to her, because at the same time that I want to say it, I am also here on the phone coming between us, listening and prepared to defend myself.
-Lydia Davis
I chose this passage, because it reminds me of my mom and me. This past year has been a whirlwind for our relationship: I left home for the first time to come to Wellesley, and we sobbed together when she dropped me off; I experienced true homesickness for the first time over my first semester for a home and a community I hadn’t ever been truly grateful for before leaving; then the world turned upside down and I felt the biggest sense of relief getting to come home to Mom after a chaotic weekend of panic packing; and now we’re on week five stuck in a 700 square foot apartment together, being as passive aggressive as ever but also appreciating the security we bring to each other. Similarly, the personal growth the narrator shows throughout this short passage seems to mirror my own over my first semester and a half of college. Though I have matured a lot lately, I’m still a kid with a lot more growing up to do. Overall, this was one of my favorite reads this semester, because of its depth despite the short length and its introspective tone that inspired me to reflect on my past year.
For years my mother said I was selfish, careless, irresponsible, etc. She was often annoyed. If I argued, she held her hands over her ears. She did what she could to change me but for years I did not change, or if I changed, I could not be sure I had, because a moment never came when my mother said, "You are no longer selfish, careless, irresponsible, etc." Now I'm the one who says to myself, "Why can't you think of others first, why don't you pay attention to what you're doing, why don't you remember what has to be done?" I am annoyed. I sympathize with my mother. How difficult I am! But I can't say this to her, because at the same time that I want to say it, I am also here on the phone coming between us, listening and prepared to defend myself.
-Lydia Davis
I chose this passage, because it reminds me of my mom and me. This past year has been a whirlwind for our relationship: I left home for the first time to come to Wellesley, and we sobbed together when she dropped me off; I experienced true homesickness for the first time over my first semester for a home and a community I hadn’t ever been truly grateful for before leaving; then the world turned upside down and I felt the biggest sense of relief getting to come home to Mom after a chaotic weekend of panic packing; and now we’re on week five stuck in a 700 square foot apartment together, being as passive aggressive as ever but also appreciating the security we bring to each other. Similarly, the personal growth the narrator shows throughout this short passage seems to mirror my own over my first semester and a half of college. Though I have matured a lot lately, I’m still a kid with a lot more growing up to do. Overall, this was one of my favorite reads this semester, because of its depth despite the short length and its introspective tone that inspired me to reflect on my past year.
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