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Diary of A (Former) Tall Poppy
Issue 02/2021: Growing Pains
Childhood. A blissful, almost utopian time in nearly everybody’s life, defined by happiness, purity and obliviousness. A time sprinkled with the belief that anything is possible, allowing us to swim in the wild depths of our imagination. We were assured that we could do anything that we set our minds to, and we embodied this mantra in every response to “what do you want to do when you grow up?”. But there comes a time in every child’s life when they are cut out from the shelter of their cocoon and shoved into the real world, where they are forced to witness reality, no longer clouded by the woven silk of their childhood. For many, this may have occurred as a result of average or low grades at school, criticism from teachers, or bullying, teaching them that their dreams weren’t attainable. My irruption into reality was delayed, occurring only during my transition to adulthood. As a child, the possibility of failure never crossed my mind. “The Smart One” was emblazoned on my identity, proven through aced tests and a bombardment of praise during every parentteacher interview. My success was predicted and mapped out for me by every teacher I stunned.
