Misleading Covers Some Books May Wear by Kelly

Misleading Covers Some Books May Wear by Kelly - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

Growing up I was a bit of a rebel. For some reason I had it in my nature to be insubordinate to any sort of authority figure, save my grandmother and auntie. Facing the world with an attitude like that I never payed any attention when an adult would attempt to school me. I also increasingly felt like school and other institutions were methods of mass baby sitting, just teaching us how to toe the line. My distaste for being instructed and commanded would grow and so would my animosity toward conventional standards.
When the day finally came that I reached high school I was endlessly relieved. I had the freedom to ditch class and escape that monotony. And while I was at it I would get high and mock all of the fools that were persuaded into the nine to five slavery life. Luckily, by the end of my freshman year I would begin a path that would lead me to college.
During the summer after my freshman year of high school I went to a family reunion. One of my cousins was there, of whom I hadn't seen in many years. He was dressed as what could easily be considered a stereotypical thug, which to me seemed to be an appealing character. We began a fluid conversation. We discussed real life topics like poverty and the future of humanity. I found this sort of conversation much more stimulating than the other stoner nonsense that my usual friends and I would spout. As we conversed we walked and slowly we distanced ourselves from the crowd. As soon as we were out of sight from the adults he pull out a pack of cigarettes, as he was only sixteen. I was highly impressed and grateful as he gave me a cigarette and grabbed another for himself. In the mind of a fifteen year old that is a concoction of guaranteed influence. And the very next conversation we had was probably the greatest influence of my life.
As I sparked my cigarette he asked if I had ever read the Divine Comedy. Initially I scoffed, thinking books were meant for the domesticated human. Trying to hold back disappointment he urged me to defend how an idle mind is better than an active one. After a while of debate, of which I brought up my distaste for the education system and authority, he said something that stuck with me. He asked "You can't hate something you don't understand and in order to understand you have to be wrong sometimes". I didn't have a response.
We eventually left the topic and the day continued. At the end of the night we exchanged phone numbers, since we lived so close to each other we figured we should hang out.
We began hanging out on the weekends. I frequently saw his collection of books and one day decided to borrow the Divine Comedy. It was a challenge but I found it fantastic. Next I borrowed his copy of the Odyssey. Then many more followed. And so began my love for being a student.
I today employ my cousins philosophy of understanding something before placing judgment. I find that the more I understand something the less I am uncomfortable with it. My proudest school accomplishment is falling in love with being a student because feeling love for knowledge is miles better than feeling a need for success.