When you sense fundamental difference between you and your family

[Mike Dura]

I recall reading Richard Rodriguez's "an achievement in desire" in which he outlines the archetype of what he calls the "scholarship boy." The "scholarship boy" seems to be the student of passive receptivity to his education who amounts to a fraudulent conformer. Ultimately, Rodriguez transcended his initial failure in his education. Indeed, his education and character were the ultimate source for his independance and maturity as a free thinker and true contributer.

But for me, the most striking feature of his memoir was how his education was the cause of deep personal conflict as it had fundamentally changed him and he felt alienated from his family of origin. This is something that personally resonates with me as I'm wondering if it resonates with anyone else out there in steroid cyberland.

For me, my education been the cause of both personal and interpersonal conflict, especially between my parents (in particular, my mother) and I. This is something that's not easy to talk about but it's something I think that is relevant and probably more common than I think.

Ultimately, I deal with our differences by being more of a listener than a talker but I'm left with this strange feeling that they are more interested in palying the role of parents than they are in getting to know their children. Intimacy is not for everyone, I guess and equal exchanges are not always possible.