Sometimes I reflect on how poorly I did in high school and then how I excelled in college (when I was in my 30s) and wonder if anything would have been different for me if I’d had supportive parents who spoke with me about college, or other opportunities after graduation. Maybe I would have been a straight A student like I was so much later in re-entry to college. Maybe I would have asked
My dad to teach me more about his business. I never asked him though. He was a chauvinist who did not believe women could do construction. I was assigned female at birth. I would have liked to be his apprentice.
And then I remember that I’ve always had these mental illnesses and they’ve always made a full time work life nearly impossible for me.
I was told I had “so much potential” and told I had a high IQ, and then told I was stupid and was basically a worthless, useless human being.
So much potential is a very passive aggressive way of telling someone they aren’t living up to what you think their potential is.
Posts
