“Do you realize how lucky you are?” “You don’t even know what it’s like to have to work hard.” “You don’t understand the value of a dollar.” “You are so spoiled.” Spoiled… one of my least favorite words in the history of the world. From as early as I can remember, I have heard the word to describe myself and for the longest time I did not see it as negative until I realized I was supposed to.
When I tell people that my parents are paying for my college, I cannot even begin to describe the looks I get from my fellow peers and friends. “If you don’t have to pay for college, you’ll never learn how to work hard.” Wrong. In fact, I work extremely hard despite what people say. “You have never had to work a day in your life.” Wrong. I actually work a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday job, every summer to earn money. “You’re so spoiled.” Maybe. But I’m so extremely grateful.
I think the biggest thing that growing up “spoiled” has taught me is that I need to be grateful for everything that I have and say thank you, every chance that I get. I do not take the items I have or the lifestyle I live for granted. Unlike some of those who peer down at me for the life I live, I am not bitter. I am not angry. I am not ungrateful. I am not envious. I am not anything but a hard working individual who knows how to be thankful, loving and kind.
I may not understand the value of a dollar sometimes but we all have those days where we splurge and buy something that in that moment we think we absolutely need. Do I own a lot of lipsticks that are overpriced? Yes. Do I have a wardrobe so large that I can fill up my college dorm with clothes and still have a separate wardrobe back at home? That’s a fact. Do I have this, that and the other thing? Probably. I cannot change how I grew up nor would I want to but I am able to act differently than someone who is stuck up. The truth of the matter is that people use the word “spoiled” for the only child of the family, the stuck up, and the rich, which is wrong.
I have never found myself to be the Regina George of life, where I walk around with my nose held high, above the rest of the world. Nor do I ever plan on being that way towards others. Instead, I plan to live a life of giving back, moving forward, and working hard. I have learned over the years that not everyone is going to believe that and that’s okay. You cannot make everyone happy or make everyone understand. What truly matters is that you live a life that you are proud of and regardless of the looks I get, I am extremely proud of the life I am living.
So yes, I have come to the conclusion that I may be “spoiled,” but it has not taught me how to hate or look down upon others. Instead, it has taught me to work harder so that people don’t underestimate the power of the “spoiled” girl.
