Eleven... and 10, and 9, and 8....

The story Eleven by Sandra Cisneros was one of my favorites from this semester. It was so easy to relate to. Everybody has a day where they wish they could cry about something that made them sad, scream and laugh because something made them happy, lash out because something made them angry, or just run to their mother’s arms because they are scared. But we can’t because we have to act our age.

                When Rachel is forced to claim the sweater as her and even worse yet, put it on, she feels like a great wrong has been committed against her. She feels embarrassed because the sweater is so nasty and everyone in the class thinks it’s hers. She feels angry at both her teacher, Mrs. Price, and some of her classmates, Sylvia Saldivar, and Phyllis Lopez. And most of all, she feels sad because today is her birthday and no one is there to stick up for her and she can’t act ten anymore because now she is eleven even though she feels three and wants to be one hundred and two.

                I will be the first to admit, even though I’m twenty, I still have days where I feel five because I just want to cry. Or I feel fifteen because I do something stupid and know I am going to have to pay for it. There are also days when I’m just tired of taking crap from people and I wish I was a lot older because then no one could tell me what to do or that I’m wrong. Much like Mrs. Price, I would be right because that’s just how it works.

                I have to check myself though when I feel like this. Those days when I wish I was older so I can be done with school because my classes are hard or be working so I can make money are a test. I really don’t wish I was older. I really don’t want to trade all those days from this day till then just to be done with a class or have a job or a family because even though I’m having a bad day, my life is still good, it still matters, and I know I don’t want to miss anything. What I got out of the story was that it’s ok to feel all the ages that are inside how old you are, and it’s even ok to show it sometimes. Yes, we have to act our age, but sometimes life just sucks and bad days just happen. At these times we can and should compose ourselves appropriately, but sometimes you just have to act one of your younger ages.