<p>munchkin, thank you for sharing your experiences with me. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to see that for what it is. When they express their wishes in the form of threats, how does that encourage me to do anything? At the same time, they say that when I’m their age, I will be exactly like them and see things their way. I highly doubt it and I refuse to do that.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, I have visited Cambodia. Beggars in restaurants, fruit baskets balanced on heads of eight year olds, and everyone on bicycles or motorcycles were carrying things. Very oddly enough, all of my dad’s sisters were, and are, the richest people in their town (without my dad’s support). One sold ice and the other sold gasoline.</p>
<p>I do admire and respect my parents for what they’ve done. Being dropped in Chicago without a penny or a lick of English is a mountain to pass. Unfortunately, I can just tell my dad, “I respect you for how hard you’ve worked to get this much in your life,” but he’ll follow it up with, “If you really respect me, then you will apply to UVA or else I’m not going to pay for you” or “If you don’t do ____, then you don’t respect the hard work I’ve done for the sake of this family.” My parents’ idea of respecting them is doing everything exactly as they say, so since I have no intention of transferring or majoring in business, they see it as me being ungrateful and just want to waste money.</p>
<p>I’m sure they want what’s best for me, but do they really know what’s best for me? It’s true that I won’t miss what I never had, but what if my parents gave up a job and spent more time with me instead of just giving up on me? When your parents just say that, that hurts.</p>
<p>Thanks for your input. :)</p>