The Fallower Problem By David Brooks

Parents, they are the sole caretakers of their beloved children. They strive every living moment to care for, provide for, and to create a better life for their offspring. Most parents would prefer that their children follow the paths and guidance set forth by them. They teach and guide their children to the paths that they want them to follow, the paths that they believe is best for the future and well-being of their child. However in actuality, it is predominantly the child’s own decision to determine what their future holds. They may choose to follow the paths of their parents or perhaps even pave an entirely new road leading to their own destinies and dreams. Take the Wall’s family from Jeannette Wall’s memoir, Glass Castle, for instance. Even with

There were many other losses that occurred as a result of the divorce of my parents. We had to move so I also lost my home. My mom became a single income family and we suddenly were financially insecure. My dad, who was my hero, was suddenly not a part of my everyday life. My mom became withdrawn and depressed and so in a sense I lost my mom too. All these changes and losses make this one incident in my young life the most significant. The effects of the divorce of my parents followed me well into my twenties.

In the Spring of 2011, my parents got a divorce. I was thirteen years old and it was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to experience. I can remember like it was yesterday when my mother sat me down and confessed the tragic news. Going through something that horrific, I would never wish divorce on anyone. Being a child of divorce, I went though the divorce differently than my mother and father did. With both parents being separated in different homes, I had to choose who I wanted to stay with on the nightly. It was a bad situation because both parents were going through such a destructive time, yet both desired always to be with my sister and I. That was the most painful and challenging decision I would have to daily make. I never

Growing up in a separated household trains you for life, I have experienced a lot and adopted a lot of disobedience ways. I was a rebellious child and I still have some of those ways. I am a man; disobedience is my original virtue. I try not to act rebellious, but I can’t help it. Because of my rebellious ways I have progressed in life and got to a lot of places where I feel success in life. For example, when I used to ask for things and people told me no, I went out on my own and made it happen.

Often enough, divorce usually has a negative effect on people. I am no exception to that. Though I was too young to remember what life was like before my parents separated themselves, having that life for as long as I can think of was not a good experience. It caused me to have a serious case of anxiety before going to my dad’s house for visitation, during, and after. No one likes to feel anxious or stressed, and I felt that everyday, all the time. I was a self-conscious, shy girl who wasn’t ready for complex

Parents often make decisions based on their children’s well being but, sometimes being protective can be a bad thing. For example, Amir, the main character from the book “The Kite Runner”, had lived his whole life believing that his servant friend, Hassan, was his father’s favorite out of the two because he was more like his father than he was, not knowing that Hassan was actually his half brother. Baba and everyone around Amir that knew had kept this huge secret from both Hassan and Amir, making Amir very guilty about everything that happened during his childhood. Another example would be Oedipus, the main character from Oedipus Rex, that was abandoned by his parents because of a curse. His parents nailed his ankles to the trees so that he would not move but, someone let him go. Oedipus ended up marrying his mother and was on a hunt to kill his father just like the curse said he would, until the truth came out and it was too late to save his mother. All the secrets led to the real life that Amir and Oedipus have to face to rid themselves of the guilt.

My parents constantly mold my life. I can proudly say that my parents shape me to be a better gentleman, and to be a better citizen of the world. Even as a child, my parents have guided me to change my morals and see the world in a different light. I am very grateful for a chance to correct the self-centered morals everyone has when they are a child. Some people do not have amazing mentors to model what they should do and what they should not do.

As I got older things got better, my mom got help for her drug problem and I got healthier with the help of my dad and step mother. While living with my father my mom was supposed to come every other weekend to visit me, and many of the times she was scheduled she did not come because she could not afford the gas. This made me upset sometimes because I thought she didn’t want me or she was doing more important things. After being disappointed so many times it made me stronger because I learned not to let other people control my

For some reason when we are younger society and authority figures (such s parents) play a bigger role in our lives. It probably is because

were things my parents rarely showed up at. I didn’t feel like I was really that much of a priority to them. Giving your child shelter, feeding them, and caring for their well being are traits of a responsible parent. I just never felt that true “mom/dad and daughter” connection that I saw with my classmates and their parents. My situation brought my self-esteem pretty low knowing not even my own parents truly supported me, but I turned it around for myself. I tried extra hard to excel in school and sports for one person, myself. That’s all you really need in life, right? At the end of the day, the only one there for yourself is

They always expected a lot from me but I just wanted to follow my own path. I know I maybe should've done what they said to avoid their wrath but I could honestly care less about what they wanted from me. Besides I'm not the only child in the family. But then again, my brother was... Never mind.

On the other hand, I had the privilege of being taught about right and wrong by my parents enabling me to accept ideas and rules only after proper reasoning. I always had a voice in my household where I could question the right and the wrong. My grandparents subsisted in India before independence, under the imperialist British rule. They lived a difficult life without freedom. I assimilated this information through the stories they told me about their childhood. They also taught me the language of the law and inspired me to appreciate it. That is the reason why they always wanted me to reap all the benefits of free will and use it righteously. On their part, my grandparents also pampered me with unconditional love and showered me with gifts. My parents introduced me to religion, culture, the significance of education and inculcated the values of respecting elders. For example, there is a custom that is followed in every Indian household- whenever a you meet elders for the first time you had to bend and touch their feet. This is a show of respect and humility. In return you are blessed with good health, happiness and prosperity. Whereas some of my friends touched elders’ feet only because it was required of them, my parents explained the concept and customs in detail before they required me to follow it. My parents also balanced my grandparents’ pampering by

Everyone remembers fighting with their parents at some point in their life, whether as a young child who wants a toy or as a teenager who isn’t allowed to go out. It’s normal to want to challenge authority when growing up, because it helps young people to make their own decisions and become individuals. Teenagers rely on few close friends and the last people expected to be confidants are their parents.

My parents separated when I was 16. I dropped out of school in the 11th grade. I stayed home to take care of my five younger brothers and sisters 14 yr-18 mos because my mother and father moved out and left us alone.

With divorce came custody, and the state of Missouri saw me best fit to live with my mom. So, for the first twelve years of my life- give or take a few months- that's exactly what I did. But, I wasn't happy. Like I would imagine being the case with most children whose parents divorced at a young age, I saw the parent I wasn't living with through rose-colored glasses. In my mind, my dad could do no wrong and my mother was the enemy. This being said, as soon as I was legally able, I chose to move in with my father who lived a few hours away from my mom.