2023-11-04 18:00:06
ZOE VADIM
“In my village, everyone knows each other. I’m the one who wears glasses, who reads and gets good grades. Not always very comfortable talking with people, not the most popular. I am not a leader and have often hid behind others.
I’m entering 2nd general. I’m pretty standard, and pleasing myself is important. Because it can be painful if you’re not the norm: you have to have straight teeth, be tall for a boy. I deal with the looks of others, well not always… I get teased about my braces and I’m also told “growing mustache”, it’s like that. Eventually, I get used to it. I spend a lot of time doing my hair and I’m the first in my group to shave. I’m not particularly fashionable, I dress normally. I take care of myself. So when people tell me I stink, it makes me angry. When you leave sport, and I do a lot, it’s somewhat normal, everyone stinks.
In recent years, I have gained confidence in myself. At the beginning, the college, it was a big change. In primary school, I came and went alone or with my friends. There, you had to take the bus, change classes for each lesson, get used to the new ones, the older ones. 3rd graders, when you’re a 6th grader, it’s impressive! It took me a while to become less afraid and gain more confidence. I would say it came around age 13, when I entered 4th grade. When you have self-confidence, you feel strong and big. We can be more successful. The first time I went into town by myself for orthodontist appointments, I felt so free. Freedom gives me confidence.
“Too many adults think we are not capable”
Adults take us too much for children. It’s really painful. They don’t have enough confidence in us. At college, I suspect that the teachers are not there to discuss with us, but I would have liked it not only to be history teachers who agreed to talk to us about the death of Samuel Paty [assassiné le 16 octobre 2020], For example. Too many adults think that we are not capable, even though I understand a lot of things, and I know how to do a lot of things too. Like tinkering, using my dad’s drill. When I manage to do it, when I’m no longer afraid, I tell myself that I can do anything.
Also read the column: “Samuel Paty died for trying to teach young minds to step back and decenter themselves”
My parents take me a little more seriously, without considering me as an adult. I just watch my language, unlike my 12 year old sister who says “like” or “brother” a lot, and it annoys them. I’m more of a model child than her and I’m more careful because my parents, with their friends, make fun of our words, our music. They say it sucks, but it’s just that it’s a change from their time, and above all they don’t understand rap, nor why we speak “badly” to each other. They try, but always end up making fun of it, that annoys me!
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