The Turning Point

In the quest to write more, one of the signs was from the blog I recently started following, Sometimes Sweet. Danielle, is doing weekly posts called Journal Day where she posts a topic every Sunday. The 1^st prompt is:

“Everyone has a time in their life they view as a crossroad. Sometimes you can see it as it's happening, and you're able to choose one way or another. Other times you may not realize you're there until you look back, and see what a turning point it really was. This week, write about a time you view as a marker in your life; a distinct place where things changed, for better or worse.”  

Before the age of 16, my decision making revolved around ice cream flavors, favorite colors and if I prefer glitter or rainbows. At the age of 16, I began the mission of convincing my traditional father I wanted to change schools. Let me tell you a bit about the old school:

•   I’ve been part of it for 12 years (KG to 10^th grade)
• All my siblings were in that school and my 2 elder siblings graduated from it
•  It’s a gender segregated school
• They taught the Omani system

 I was attempting to convince my traditional father to move to:

• A mixed school
• It taught an international system (IB)
• It’s a “better” school

In the old school, I was the first one from my siblings to go through international exams (IGCSE). Before that, my siblings studied the IGCSE material but didn’t go on to do the exams because the school didn’t offer them. Being the person I am and wanting a bit of a challenge, I asked to be moved to the new school to do a better, more challenging system that will help me with university.

Now I’m sure that my father accepting my move has nothing to do with my attempt to convince him, but rather because someone else convinced him it’s a good idea and IB is a really good system. I still pretend I had a role in convincing him though.

Doing IB has changed me a lot; it surely was a turning point for me. I feel like I prefer leading, initiating ideas and don’t like the idea of following what I don’t like. In the old school it was more of going for the sake of learning and nothing else. The new school helped me experience and join new activities, go to new places I would never have thought possible before. But again, if you don’t ask the answer will always be no and I always assumed the answer will be no

Knowing that you proposed a decision to be taken into consideration means you have to live with the consequences and outcomes later on. Doing IB didn’t end the way I had in mind, I didn’t graduate with flying colors, I just passed. “Just passing” was never my thing. But just passing got me into genetics and studying abroad so I’m learning to live with that. I do realise this isn't much of a turning point compared to other people, but this has changed a lot in me and I think to the better.

After the age of 16, I felt more responsible with my future.

What was your turning point?