I come from an Eastern European country. My mother didn’t go to school and didn’t know how to read and write. My father didn’t go to school either. He couldn’t even write my name. We lived in an apartment like 99% of the people in my country. There were 14 families living in the building including our family. The women in this apartment would meet weekly to talk, gossip and socialize. My mom was a quiet woman. I was the start of my school in elemantary school, middle school and high school but she really didn’t know that.
There was a woman living in the same building we lived. Her son was 5 years older than I was. He was accepted to one of the Top 5 colleges in my country. The only criteria in my country is an SAT like test where each question has its own value based on how many students answered the question right in the real test. This test was administered once a year and more than 1 million high school seniors took the test each year at the same day and time. If you missed the test, you had to wait for 1 year to take it again.
So although more than 1 million high school students took the same test at the same day and time each student was ranked from 1 to 1 million depending on their score.
This woman’s son was ranked as the 357th student out of 1 million student. She bragged about her every single year. Year after year. She loved to brag about her son’s success. My mom would always give this student to me as an example. I am being 100% honest. My mom didn’t even know how to read and write and she didn’t know how successful I was.
5 years passed.
I took the same test.
I ranked 52nd out of 1.1 million students. I was accepted to top college.
Everyone in our building cheered for my mom. That woman had to move out of the apartment.
True story.
PS: I apologize for my bad English. I am not a native. Also a little buzzed since tomorrow is no work day thanks to Nor’easter in New Jersey.