‘A Major Turning Point’The twist of fate that tore me away from the home of my childhood, wherein are rooted many of my most happy memories, wounded me deeply at the time. As grounded as I was in my childish belief that nothing would change the long days of innocent pleasure and carefree play, this episode bore a great shock for me. It made me realize, even at so tender an age, that change is the one constant life offers and that all else is at the mercy of its whims. I was privileged with the ideal family of two loving parents and a younger sister; However, my blissful childhood was about to come to an abrupt and unexpected end. My parents came to the horrifying decision that my sister and I were to continue our education in Pakistan instead of remaining in the U.S. which was ‘Home, sweet home’ for us. I was more than unwilling to leave. My entire life was set up the way I wanted it to be and I was, finally, no longer an outsider. My parents, however, determined to move back to Pakistan nonetheless, though my father remained in America without us. That year changed me so radically that I stopped being able to identify with the person that I once was. ‘From caterpillar to butterfly’ is not the correct expression for this staggering transition from carefree and innocent child to angst-ridden young adult. It was an experience most similar to having your world turned upside down or being suddenly stranded on a strange and alien world. It radically altered my beliefs and the role I had once created for myself in my mind for the individual I had planned on becoming. In short, I felt forced to become a whole new person in order to adapt to this new life. Moving thousands of miles did not just modify my geographical location; I felt like I had just arrived on a foreign planet where everyone considered me strange. In the US, I was considered too ‘Pakistani’ and in Pakistan, I came to be considered too ‘Americanized’. The culture clash was a huge shock for me. From wearing the ‘all-American’ shorts and T-shirts, I had to go to wearing clothes that were considered culturally ‘decent’ and covered my whole person in the searing heat. I could no longer address people frankly. I had to learn to address them with the ‘respect’ that their ages and relationships required me to. It was challenging, to say the least. I unknowingly committed many social faux pas in the course of that year. It was one rude awakening after another. In America, I had been in the habit of spending hours at a time outside. Now, I was forced to stay inside, as it was ‘improper’ for girls to play outdoors. The school that was chosen for me was no less of a mystery to me and came as an extremely unpleasant surprise. The litter and trash strewn all over the streets, the sheer number of beggars, the lawless abandon of drivers on unpaved roads and the poverty stricken children to be found at every corner haunted me. The heat I was unaccustomed to living in and the spicy food I had never before consumed were daily drawbacks in that year of change. Added to that were the frequent electricity outages and water issues, which were a constant cause for aggravation. Also, the people who lived there were a different race whose beliefs and practices conflicted many of the ideas ingrained in my mind. Since Urdu was the local language, I could not even communicate with others. I am now able to speak both Urdu and English. Migrating from one societal pole to the other was a great turning point in my life. The effects of that one occasion continue to resonate today in my life and will always do so. I became a better person for it and have learned to value all that I have, and everyone in my life, a great deal more. I also learned that I have a great yearning for consistency- I dislike life-changing alterations. Yet, I am eternally grateful to have been blessed by the most elusive of experiences- a successful adventure. The lessons I have learned as a result of this particular occurrence in my life are ones that will help me for as long as I live.
