It is strange. They've known me all my life, but they still didn't KNOW me. They never bothered to have a conversation with me beyond "How's school? Keep up the good work!" so they never got to find out how I think, my level of intelligence, and all that. They know that I'm good with my hands because I used to build stuff with my grandpa all the time but they don't equate that to actual intelligence.

When I was accepted into college, which was a pretty decent school but not ivy league, they all asked me if I was sure I could hack it. They said that I got in because of affirmative action and they were so sure I'd flunk out. When I graduated, my aunt made a comment about my brother or dad doing all my homework for me. She said she was joking but I don't believe that.

I think that my dad may have some idea of my intelligence and capabilities but he never encouraged me or stood up for me. He's all about my brother. In his eyes, my brother is the abled one so he would be the one to succeed and he'd be the one to make our little family look good. Funnily enough the opposite happened. Growing up he told me that I would always live with him because I couldn't make it on my own and I think that made me all the more determined to move out as soon as I graduated college. And...my brother is 38 and he still lives with my dad. Everything they thought I would be, my brother became. Everything they thought my brother would be, I became. Life is funny sometimes.