Erica Reske, Blog 2 Option 4

     As soon as I read Eleven by Susan Cisneros, I knew right away that this was the one that I wanted to blog about. I can certainly relate it to my childhood. “It has to belong to somebody, ”Mrs. Price keeps saying, but nobody can remember. It’s an ugly sweater with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it for a jump rope. It’s maybe a thousand years old and even if it belonged to me I wouldn’t say so. (Cisneros 1)             
      Growing up,  I was the product of a failed marriage. My parents divorced when I was really young. Although my parents had joint custody, I lived mostly with my Mom, as my Dad lived in another town and was always out of town with his job. He was hardly involved and I rarely saw him. My Mom did the best she could to provide for me but sometimes had to cut costs. In turn, most of my school clothes were hand me downs from cousins and family friends who had children around my age. Whenever Mom would bring home a brown paper box, it was like Christmas. I never Knew what "new" things would be inside for me to wear. Sometimes things were too short, stretched and didn't fit just right, but that's all I had. 

I want to say it was around the third or forth grade when I started to be teased. Sometimes I was made fun of for my pants being too short or a shirt being too big and long. Kids were just plain cruel to me. I would come home and be upset from time to time. It really broke my Mom's heart that I had to deal with this, but putting food on the table was more important at that time. I didn't understand at that time.  Luckily it only lasted for a year or two, and my Mom was able to get a better job and take me school shopping where I could actually buy new things.
    Looking back, it is just really sad to know that I am not alone. Other kids are experiencing what I went through. Why are kids so cruel to one another? Why does it matter that someone has the latest trend? We should all be treated as equals. Those clothes didn't define me. I think the whole experience just made me stronger as a person and for that I am thankful.