My family is smart, and it’s annoying. I have geniuses in my family as well as amazing athletes and musicians. I am not among them. Although my parents don’t compare me to my cousins, I do. I always do.


Whenever I get a “B” I know somewhere someone’s getting an “A”. Or when I got nearly advanced on the MCAS, my cousin got fifteen points off a perfect on the Irish version of the SAT’s. In fifth grade, as I got a star on my math sheet, my cousin got into an amazing exam school. Out of 2,000 people trying to get in, only 500 did, and she was in the top eighty. I’m a good student, but I’m not great.


I played soccer for six years and I was horrible. Even I made fun of my complete lack of skills. I got one goal in my six years, and even then we were already leading by fifteen points. Then my brother decided to play soccer. His first game ever he scored three goals. Wow.


The only thing I’m truly good at is singing. It took me a long time to be able to say this, but I’m a good singer. In fact, I think I’m a great singer – but so is my cousin. While I’m faced with paralyzing stage fright my cousin certainly isn’t. As she belts it out on stage, I’m in the back literally shaking and sweating at the thought of going out there to sing.


Compared to my cousins and family, I am boring. There aren’t many things I’m great at, but I’m just good at a lot of things. Compared to my cousins, I’m a failure who needs to work harder and do better. Compared to my cousins, I’m an idiot. But my cousins have always been smart and will always be smart, so why should I waste so much time comparing myself to them?