My family has educated me regarding the importance of working and being educated. Ever since I could remember, I have been told that “without and education, you are nobody.” I was taught to look down on people that had dropped out of school because they got married, got pregnant or simply just because. I could not even tell my mother that there was someone I was interested in without her reminding me that school came first and that there was going to be time for everything else later. I was also told to study because if I did not, I would end up working at McDonalds. Hence, the purpose of going to school—college being of most importance—was to be able to get a good job once I was done with it all. By having a good job I would be able to support myself financially and grow up to be a strong, independent woman that does not need a man to support her.
I love animals and had always wanted to become a veterinarian. As a child, instead of pretending I was a princess or playing with Barbie dolls, I put diapers on plush toy dogs and acted as if I was their mother, and also placed bandages on them as I pretended I was a vet healing sick animals. One of my favorite games to play was with my sister. Our two favorite movies were Balto and 101 Dalmatians, both of which were the subject of our games.
My sister and I used to pretend we were dogs, while we took turns being the pack leader and even included our own two dogs in the game. Since they would not follow directions, we would have them sit on the empty rectangular box—previously used for Lego’s—and pulled them around on the “sled” that we had attached to ourselves with a harness made from the million dog leashes we kept at our house. And then there was the theme song. As we “dog sledded” around the house, we would chant the instrumental march song when the 101 dogs ran up a hill in 101 Dalmatians.
Years went by, and I got into the college I was aspiring to go to—the University of Florida. It was my first choice since it is the only school in Florida with a college of Veterinary Medicine and that was what I wanted to study. I have to say I am thankful to have the family I have. They have been there pushing and motivating me and it is thanks to them and how they raised me that I am about to graduate from the University of Florida. My journey is ending but my sister’s is beginning. She is about to start college and I cannot wait to be there and support her like she done for me.
The memory of my sister and I has remained as an iconic image of my childhood. When asked about my game of preference during my childhood years, I get a mental picture of my sister tied to a “sled” behind me as I lead our dog sled through the make believe snow, but stop to turn back and see the faces of my two dogs peeking out of the box. When I remember this image, it makes me miss childhood and its bliss.
