Making a Change - Broadening My Horizon

Broadening my Horizon

Change to me is an amazingly powerful and often times emotionally charged word. People everywhere go through numerous experiences in their lives in which affects a person in a variety of ways. The resulting effects can be good, bad, or a combination of both. Many aspects of my life have influenced my personality and the way that I live. Finding my own voice and voicing my opinion influenced my life dramatically. It began simply by saying a simple word “No”. I never realized how saying that simple word to my family would ultimately affected my life intensely, yet still managed to make me a better person.

Trinidad and Tobago is a beautiful example of how a tradition every year called Carnival can unite the world. For in this small nation, the beliefs and customs of many cultures come together and for a brief five days the whole country forgets their differences to celebrate life! For African people, Carnival became a way to express their power as individuals, as well as their rich cultural traditions. Today, Carnival in Trinidad is like a mirror that reflects the faces the many immigrants who have come to this island nation from Europe, Africa, India, and China. For my family in particular, Carnival is not just an event that happens every year; it is actually a business that has been in my family for decades.

Ever since I was a young girl my Grandfather would tell me of stories on how he would make costumes for Carnival and how he was very popular there. Individuals might think that making costumes is an easy task to do however, it takes patience, time and a lot of effort in order to make what you envisioned comes to life. For my grandfather being a “Band Leader”, costume designer and leader of the people that wear his costumes, means the world to him. It was and still is a way of expressing himself in ways that you can only see in his drawings. Growing up around this type of artistic environment did end up rubbing off on me and I began to draw and make costumes as well. It was not until my senior year of high school that I came to a realization that I should not be obligated to go when the pressures of school work plagues me. What pressures could there be in missing school to be with your family one may ask? How can a case of personal change be debated in what I have shared? Like anything in life, there is more to the story.

For as long as I can remember, I have always lived in the shadows and followed my family’s orders, even if I did not like the situation. With an over protective family, anything that would bring distraught would be looked upon as a disgrace, which could not happen. My biggest fear was voicing my opinion because I did not want to be a disappointment in their eyes. I wanted to show my family that although I do want to listen to them they are not always right especially during the season of carnival and that I am able to voice my opinion