Confusion
I have an ongoing battle with envy and gratitude. I know how fortunate I am. That good fortune began when I was born to intelligent parents. We had a nice home in the suburbs. I attended a Catholic grade school and, after a year in a regular (read: boys and girls) Catholic high school, I told my parents that I wanted to switch to an all girls' Catholic high school. And off I went to Saint Mary of the Angels Academy. I figured I'd be less of a loser in a school without boys. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't ask my parents to send me to an all girls Catholic boarding school. One of my friends from grade school, a very sweet, smart, lovely person, was going there. My parents would have gladly sent me off; I was getting to be quite the emotional handful. Being a rather sheltered adoIescent, I was clueless about the cost of Catholic boarding schools. I was clueless and confused and just plain scared of just about everything. Adolescence is a bitch.