Most children learn how to ride bikes with their parents behind them, holding onto the back of the seat and the handle bar to insure their child’s peace of mind. The parent tells their children, “You’ve got it! Keep going!” before letting them go to watch their child ride off proudly. They know that they’ve given their child all of the tools and encouragement they need to ride their bikes on their own. What happens if you don’t have that parent to guide you when you’re learning how to ride your bike?
  

All throughout my childhood all I can remember is absence letters. Not necessarily because of neglect but because of my mother’s fear of becoming her own mother. Have you’ve ever paid close attention to how you are with someone who encourages you, and someone who doesn’t? Maybe you’ve felt a tinge of a difference but never paid attention to the effect it has on you to have someone cheering you on. From second to eighth grade, my growing mind has been molded and shaped around influences both negative and positive that have brought me to my stance today on education and involvement of parents, and parental figures on a child’s view of education.
  

I remember coming back from school after missing days for reasons I can’t recall, and having to pick up 10 steps ahead of where I’ve left off. Of course my teachers wouldn’t let me fail, and I managed to keep my grades up to par- but there would always be the unsettling amount of days missed on my report. Then, I didn’t pay much mind because how was I supposed to know the impact that would actually have on my future and future habits? I went on with my life in schooling with a pattern of not showing up, but showing up. Always getting proficient and advanced on papers but when it came to what really would shape me and discipline me for the future, I’ve always fallen below.
   

After school my grandmother would pick me and my youngest sibling up, we would go to her house and she would make us do homework while preparing her usual soup and sandwich. It always bugged me having her down our throats about education and sometimes it would go through one ear and directly out the other, not because I was a rude child but maybe it’s because she isn’t who I needed to hear it from. My relationship with my mother has always been strong, a few bumps in the road but nonetheless I’m still a mama’s girl; But could more involvement from her possibly made that much of a difference in my habits? My mother has always been the top important figure in my life, every word she said would ease my mind enough for me to cling to. She has always said she didn’t want us to do what we didn’t want to do, she didn’t want to force us like she has been in her childhood. It’s like the common, “I’m going to be a better parent than mine was.” Could that state of mind be detrimental?
 

In my freshman year of high-school, each day for about a month or two, I would go directly to the girls locker room during lunch to hide away from the sea of teenagers, just so ease my anxiety until gym. There have been a few bumps at that school, but with the push of my mom to withdraw and join an online school, I was out and never looked back. Now, as a senior in high-school I’m looking back with a multitude of questions. Why did I give up so easily?
  

“Education is the key.” My grandmother has always said to me, and it’s only now that I value those words and hold them dear to my heart because I know the truth behind it. It was only because the main person I needed in my life to say those words didn’t, that it has taken me so long to realize.
 

Many children have influential figures, people that they look up to, cling on, and aspire to be. We look to our figures for guidance, and that could be both good and bad. With the right person to guide you and give you the kick in the butt you need, you could go far and could possibly be miles ahead based on your disciple alone. Without that kick, well, you could be like me: trying to keep my head above the waters.

Having the right people to guide you in life Is important. We are all in a system and we need to work together to lift each other up and lead us in the right direction especially with education. Having someone to properly guide you and help you on your path to success in school might just make the world of difference.