The Time I Disappointed My Dad by Samira

The Time I Disappointed My Dad by Samira - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

When I was in 7th grade, I failed to keep on playing the piano, and I disappointed my parents. I stopped playing the instrument that I most love because there was too much pressure. Growing up, I lived in the same house as where my uncle, aunt, and three older cousins lived. It was kind of an apartment where we lived.
I was fortunate to have a mindset that I’m supposed to have good grades and have the idea of going to a good college. It started when I was in 4th grade. My cousin Marisol introduced my parents to a music school called “Merit School of Music”. Merit offered so many classes for all types of instruments. It was very expensive for my family to afford, but it didn’t stop my parents from paying for my two sisters and myself to take lessons. My parents knew that playing an instrument would be good for our futures, and they knew that it would pay off when we would be getting into college.
When my dad asked me what instrument I wanted to play, I knew that I wanted to play the piano. Before that I played the violin, but it wasn’t really suited for me. My dad and I were excited that I was going to start my lesson the following week. We went out to buy a binder and pencils so that I could be prepared for my piano class. I was excited to meet new people and to finally play the instrument that had always caught my attention. I would watch YouTube videos of kids. The way they sang and played the piano or guitar really caught my attention; I wanted to be just like them.
Within a week, I was going to start my first lesson, accompanied by my little sister. I got there earlier because I wanted to look around the building; when I am nervous I tend to be early. As I entered the building there were people in the front with tables set up and papers well organized on the table. We got in line too, and waited for one of the staff members to call us up so that we can get our schedule. It was our turn, the woman that attended us greeted us and asked us for our last names. I felt comfortable because that made me feel as if I was welcomed and the people were really nice. The woman then wished us good luck. I started reading the paper and there it said my teacher, it read Ms. He. I was so confused because it was a “Ms.” And the last name is “He”, I thought that the people that typed up the schedule just made a mistake.
My sister and I decided to roam around the school, we were so curious. There was this one hallway that were many framed pictures of the what seemed to be important people to the school. I saw frames of kids playing their instrument. I then, went to this hallway and there was people playing their instrument, I also noticed that there was a piano in each of the rooms. When I looked up at the clock hanging in the hallway, I realized that there were about 5 minutes for my class to start. I started heading down and my class was going to be right around the corner of the stairs, next to the percussion rooms.
There were kids around age, waiting by my classroom with their moms. They seemed more talkative than I was; I was more shy, and my sister and I was the only one with my dad. I was peeking through the small window of the door and saw kids older than me and there were about 8 pianos, the class was filled and there was one piano up in the front, which seemed to be the teacher’s piano. It was then time for my lesson. I entered and I had no idea what to do, I didn’t know what to do. Ms. He greeted us and told us that we can sit wherever we want. She passed out blue piano books. Ms. He instructed us to write our name down on the book and she passed out a sharpie.
I kept on play the piano for about 6 more years and then I stopped playing. I now regret it so much, it’s one of the things that I wished that I wouldn’t have stopped doing it. My dad wasted so much money on my piano lessons because he wanted a future for me. My dad begged me to go back and play. I even got a keyboard for my birthday, that’s how much my dad wanted for me to succeed. He went on and told my uncles and aunts to convince me to keep on playing but I was too stubborn and told them that I was going to stop. I now realize and understand that it was important to keep on playing the most beautiful instrument that I ever heard of. I was naturally good at it; I was at the top of my piano class. I think that the only reason why I stopped was because I started getting busy in school and there was too much pressure me. I wish that my parents explained to me why was it very important to me.