“You’re going to be working in Mcdonalds for the rest of your life”
My mom would always say this sentence to me for years. The one time she said it to me though stuck with me. It was 5 pm and I was on my phone watching TikTok. This was my freshman year of college and I still didn’t know what I wanted to major in or even what to do with my life. My mom walked into the living room and yelled, “WHAT’RE YOU DOING THERE SITTING DOWN DOING NOTHING?? YOU SHOULD BE FIGURING OUT WHAT YOU WANNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE!! I ALREADY SEE YOU WORKING AT MCDONALDS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! These words were very offensive to me. Just because I didn’t know what I wanted to major in didn’t mean I was going to be a bum forever. In high school, my teachers would tell me I had potential and I knew I did but yet somehow my mom’s words would make me contradict myself and think am I really smart?
I would sit and think to myself, not a lot of people make it to college so that right there gave me a boost in confidence. That sentence that my mom would say to me over and over again made me want to prove her wrong. She would also compare me to my brother who in fact, he was smarter than me but that’s because he loved studying and learning. watching my mom always be proud of my brother made me want to prove to her that I too can be like him and be successful. I took weekends to brainstorm what I wanted to do and how I can be successful. I researched majors at my college and I finally found one I was interested in. the doubt my mother had towards me gave me so much motivation to do better for myself.
This was a very powerful quote. I liked how what she said didn’t discourage you but instead make you work harder.
I felt this to my core . Growing up my family would always say this to me mostly my father . I love that you took negative comment and made it a positive outcome . So proud of you , keep up the great work .
Hey Jennifer, it seems we both had similar experiences of being threatened with a job at Mc Donalds lol. But in the end we used it at a way to motivate ourselves rather than bring us down. Guess thats why parents love saying it to their kids.
I think everyone can relate to this story because everyone’s mother will push his/her child to become better.
A very powerful story that can touch the hearts of people
You write: It was 5 pm and I was on my phone watching TikTok. This was my freshman year of college [more details..were you just passing free time, relaxing, when these words jolted you out of your day dream — more description to show these words coming at you and the setting of the scene. Then you say her words were “offensive” — Can you describe why offensive?]
Were you working at McD’s at the time?
Can you describe your brother more: IS he older? Where and what does he do (student too? where and what field of study. Then, is he a good influence on you? Does he help you with studies, talk to you? Just a suggestion to bring him in and to show what his influence is on you and also to add dimension to your mother’s words.
Her words are hurtful. You write: my mom’s words would make me contradict myself and think am I really smart? [good that you show result upon you of her hurtful words.] Then you write: made me want to prove her wrong. [so what good results came to you, what did you do to prove her wrong? Show your resulting actions, the good actions that her words catapulted you into. And then Q: do you think she meant it to be hurtful?
Are you and your brother first generation to attend college? Do you want to explain family pressures? When parents want their children (often immigrant families) to achieve what they themselves did not have opportunity to get?
You write: I finally found one I was interested in. [WHAT MAJOR — don’t be vague — be SPECIFIC!]
Overall: Good Work!