20 Years Later

It was 20 years ago Thursday (May 11) when I graduated from Emerson College.   I know it sounds like a cliche, but that day feels like a lifetime ago.  Back then, I had no idea that I had three neurological disorders (Asperger's Syndrome, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and Sleep Apnea).  I also wasn't aware that I was suffering from low self-esteem.

Memories of that day are still vivid.  In fact, it has haunted me for years.  The ceremony was great, but it was afterwards when the battle royal begain.  My parents and two of my older siblings were constantly reminding me that I wouldn't have received that Bachelor of Science degree without my parents paying for my college education.  They all said this after I told them that I was grateful that my parents paid my tuition.  For some reason, they attempted to make me feel guilty that I wasn't able to afford my own college tuition.  When I refused to feel that way, they got angrier at me.

That's one of the reasons I never bothered to move back to my hometown, Washington, DC.  Thus was born the Uncommon Bostonian.