Walking through the halls, we all look the same

We immediately make accusations about each other

Thinking we've got each other all figured out; almost like a game

But the fact of the matter is

There are things about you and I that no one even knows about

 

For example:

I grew up in a broken home,

With two parents that didn't want to call each other their own

I grew up having nothing but a roof over my head and second-hand clothes on my back

Yet I was happy, content, and never complained worth jack

When my parents finally separated my mom remarried

Causing my brother, sister, and I to be relocated

 

Moving here was like a culture shock to me

The place I had once called my home was now "The Ghetto"

And considered for the poor

Funny thing is I had thought it was beautiful and wanted nothing more

 

When I moved here I felt like an outcast, something I never wished to feel

I had never met so many children who could be so entitled yet so self-assured

I didn't get the hype about UGG boots or Buckle Jeans

They all were too expensive for me to buy

But moving here, my tastes began to change and go a bit awry

I began to lose that gratefulness I once had named my own

And that was a scaring thing of mine to disown

 

When people ask me if my parents are paying for my college education

I say "hell no, my parents aren't paying for a dime"

And it's not because they don't care or don't have the money or the time

It's the fact that my college experience is entirely my own and should be rewarding to my kind

 

Now, if your parents are paying for your college I'm not judging you a bit

In fact, congratulations, take it as a compliment

But the next time you decide to poke fun at others that are going to Metro* or UNO*

Just know - They may not be as lucky or privileged as YOU - you know

 

Schools like ours cloud my perception

They make me resent my parents for not even chipping in

They make me think we're living all wrong

But in reality there is no "right" way

There's just the Elkhorn South* way

 

Unlike most kids, I pay for mostly everything I've got

These jeans I'm wearing?

I bought 'em

Secondhand to be exact

Most of the clothes in my closet I bought from my hard work

And I wouldn't change a thing even if I could

Why, you may ask?

Because struggling is good

Learning from your mistakes is key to living life free

 

People here measure success by where you get into

The most common insult I get is

"You're really going to Metro?"

Even when I'm only taking a few classes

They sneer and make a mockery of me

And what's worse is I actually get embarrassed

Even though I'm furthering my college degree

Because people here take Metro to be the

"School with no opportunity"

 

In reality, college isn't necessarily a necessity

There are many people that have been a success with no college degree

Take Steve Jobs or Bill Gates for example

Two innovators we all wish we could be

But their hard work is what makes it ok to not be a college grad you see

 

Now, lets get one thing straight,

I'm definitely going to college

And I hope you do too

But we shouldn't judge those that aren't

Or those that know it's not for them from the start

 

I guess the overall message I'm trying to send is to be grateful for what you have

Most people don't know what it means to struggle or barely get by

So spend your time the way you want to, and not what others expect you to do

Because ultimately, your life is up to you and only you

 

 

Reference:

*Metro: Metropolitan Community College

*UNO: University of Nebraska at Omaha

*Elkhorn South: High school in Nebraska