Blossomed

Every parent wants their child to be the best that they can be and every parent is different in their approach to achieving that. Some parents allow their child creative freedom in finding their interests, likes, and dislikes while others strictly structure their child’s education. Jamal is a 17 year old young man who falls in with the latter. His Carribean parents expect him to attend a prestigious University to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or any other top tier considered profession and this was more than expected, it was almost arranged for him that’s how confident his parents were in that path. Despite the pressure and influence from his parents, Jamal was able to keep a secret from them, a secret that could change everything.

Jamal is a well rounded young man who is good at just about anything he does. He is talented at being talented and has been so since very young. His grades are straight A’s, he is an athlete who plays most of the sports his school has to offer, and he is able to hold a part time job at the community library. Working at the community library is one of Jamal’s favorite places to be. He loved complete access to all the books and magazines, but his favorite part is it’s quiet. The silence allowed him to think clearly and focus on his future. Jamal’s future was top priority on everyone’s mind at the moment, especially his parents, because college applications were due in just three short months. Jamal’s secret made this deadline even more stressful for him.

From young, Jamal knew he was different, not because he was good at everything he did, but because he had no desire to become his parent’s expectations. Jamal is the youngest of six and the last one in High School. His older siblings are doctors, lawyers, scientists, and business owners, but Jamal had no interest in any of that. He knew education was important to excel in life, but he had no desire to achieve high status via those means. Jamal was an artist and he had a passion for creating. Jamal could paint, sketch, build, graffiti, but he gravitated towards sculpting and photography. This was his secret; Jamal wanted to go to an art school. His job at the library helped fuel this dream when he read art books and magazines. Most teenage boys hid dirty magazines in their room, but Jamal hid art ones. Most teen boys hide girlfriends and joy ride their parent’s car, but Jamal hid art projects and stayed up all night creating in his room. He defied his parents not with misbehaving socially or being immature, but by going against their educational standards and this was far worse than hiding a girlfriend.

One day while working in the library, Jamal had put aside the latest issue of The New Yorker to read. He kept up to date on art news, schools, events, and politics via magazines like The New Yorker, ARTnews, and ArtReview. One thing that Jamal agreed on with his parents was New York City is the one of the best cities to attend University, but he was ambivalent on disclosing his true reason. Jamal could lie to his parents and impersonate attending University for one of their likenesses while truly attending an art school or he could be honest about his intentions and face the repercussions. Jamal picks up The New Yorker to flip through the pages quickly in order to refocus his mind from all the inexorable stresses when an image catches his eye on one of the pages. Jamal flips back to look for it and there it is, on page 17, a giant bull. A giant bronze bull statue to be exact and Jamal was completely perplexed. Then he reads the headline,

The Bull of Wall Street Turns 25 Years Old, Will You Be There to Celebrate?

There’s a giant bull statue in New York City?! Jamal thought to himself and this drew him into the article and the city even deeper. The article mentions the statue’s creator, Arturo Di Modica, and his reason for creating the statue due to the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash and its' official name is The Charging Bull. In 1989, Di Modica dropped the bull in front of the NY stock exchange to remind New Yorker’s and Americans of their courage and can do spirit. This not only inspired Jamal, but he received it as a sign as well. A sign that there was no other option besides going to art school in New York City and being honest with his parents about it. If he wanted to achieve grand things like the one of Di Modica, then he needed to begin his journey on honesty even if that meant disappointing his parents. Jamal ripped out the page with the bull, folded it and put it in his back pocket. He would hold onto that page for a long time.

It took Jamal several days to work up the courage to have the conversation with his parents and several failed attempts. He would pump himself up in the another room with words of encouragement and affirmations, have talks with himself in the mirror, and even practiced on a friend, but as soon as he saw his parents all confidence dissipated and it was either silence or small talk to fill the air. One night at dinner, Jamal’s heart was beating so hard, he was nervous his parents could hear it. They were engaged in their own conversation while the little voice in his head was saying “Just say it. Spit it out. Right now. I want to go to art school. I want to go to art school. C’mon Jamal!” Then it grew louder, repeating,

“I want to go to art school.

I want to go to art school!

I want to go to art school!!”

Then out loud, without thinking, or maybe thinking too much, Jamal states simply and firmly,

“I want to go to art school.”

His parents do not hear and continue chatting. His heart beats faster and now he feels adrenaline surging, so he repeats himself louder this time,

“Mom! Dad! I want to go to art school.”

Silence. They are both staring at him like you better not stop there and keep talking, so he does,

“I’m really good...more than good actually. I can create just about anything using my hands or any tool, but most importantly, I like it. I want to do something with my creative talent, anything else I do would be a waste. I would not enjoy it. I would be miserable and bored. I have already looked at some really good schools and they are in-”

“Let me stop you right there...” says his mother “How come I never heard of you liking art before? Never seen not one art from you”

Jamal took a breath and swallowed, “I have never really been open with it because I did not think my work would be valued or appreciated, but it’s all around.”

“What do you mean it’s all around?”

“Momma, that picture frame I gave you for Christmas with our picture in it, I made that from scratch with my hands using wood I freshly chopped, carved, and shaped. The ceramic plate set I gave you for your birthday, I made with materials safe for eating off of and easy to clean. Dad, that desk in your office, I built that from the same wood I used for Mom’s frame. I sanded it and painted it, even hand carved the details. Every single picture on the wall in my room, I took those…” his voice trailed off until he was silent because Jamal realized right then how much he held back from them, how much more valuable those pieces could be if he told them how they came to be, but then…

“No. Absolutely not. Anybody can do that. Pfft, I could do that. Art school? Does that even exist? Where’s the money in that? There’s no…” Jamal’s mother cut his father off,

“But can you do that? I have never seen you build a birdhouse let alone a desk. That is something,” she turns and looks Jamal right in his eyes, “so respectable and amazing. Son, is this true? Did you really make these things?”

“Yes Mama, I did.” Jamal is smiling.

“You are our first child to challenge our educational standards and I could not be more proud right now. You have my blessing for this art school. Greatness comes in all forms and I have no doubt in yours.”

Jamal’s adrenaline is pumping again, but this time it’s from joy,

“And the schools I want are in NYC, blocks away from the schools you guys wanted me to go to. Some tuition is even cheaper than…”

“I have many guesses why” interrupts his father, but Jamal keeps going,

“The only difference between what you want for me and what I want for me is the area of study, the results will be the same: my happiness and success.”

“I do not approve,” says his father.

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Over the next month, Jamal details the schools to his mother and together they apply to four of them. Jamal’s dad had no involvement and even though he threatened not to pay for his school, Jamal’s mother would not allow that. She was extremely proud of her son for building things with his bare hands, but even more pleased with his creativity and thoughtfulness; once she examined his pieces more closely she felt his love through them. Jamal became a complete success in art school, graduating in the top 10 of his class, but is going to be most remembered for the miniature bull that he created with oversized horns. The bull was dark gray, the same color as the pottery clay he used, and weighed about 10 pounds. The horns of the bull were large and pointy. He mounted the bull on a wooden plague he made with a quote engraved around the edges, “When in doubt, grab the bull by its horns” The school loved it and fell in love with it even further when they heard the inspiration behind it. They offered to buy it from him to put in display in their main hall.

It was this news that turned Jamal’s dad around to accepting his art profession and this is when Jamal really felt complete. He grabbed both bulls by their horns that night at dinner and has been wrestling with one ever since, but now Jamal can confidently say the dust has settled. His art journey has just started and the road is long ahead, but Jamal is ready to conquer the world.

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