Tashi

        My whole life, I felt I was simply   too stupid   amongst my peers. Not so much academically, but I sucked at reading social cues, not interrupting others while they speak, and getting my tasks done on time. So, whenever I thought about representation of those similar to me in the media, I would look to characters portrayed as less intelligent than others because, “I guess stupid characters are only really the ones like me.” This entire time I wasn’t aware of the fact that I had ADHD until I was finally diagnosed my freshman year of high school. Never once did I see a character equally bad at certain social situations like me. Never once did I see a character who couldn’t wait for others to finish their conversation before jumping in. Never once did I see a character procrastinating their assignments until the end, even though they really wanted to get them done. All I saw were super hyperactive, jumpy character who couldn’t sit still for more than ...

 Growing up in my Indian household, being the oldest daughter felt like starring in a script written by tradition. What was I made for? To carry the family’s weight on my shoulders, a responsibility handed down through generations. When I was younger, I was honored to be someone who was trusted by my family so much that they allowed me to keep their honor intact by following this tradition. But as I got older, that weight became a combination of family expectations, societal rules, and cultural duties.  My mom and I are often told we look like alike and so, people expect that I would grow up to be like her as well. You see, in my mom’s case she basically sacrificed her whole life to handle her family. While she had dreams and aspirations of her own, her father passed away when she was only 16 (my current age), and she was given the responsibility of holding up the burden of her entire family. Literally abandoning any hopes of flourishing in her own career, as soon as my mom go...