Police Officer

Chapter One: Write the memory of a childhood event that recounts a story related to your own identity as a boy or a girl and a moment of realizing gender differences. Think about the importance of the event, and what you learned from it that stays with you today.

Police officer: In kindergarten, my mother always dressed me up as a real, girlie girl. Always wearing a bow, or wearing pretty, colorful scrunncis, dolled up in lacey socks and wearing dresses. Somehow, I was never the true definition of “girlie.” I was not a tomboy, but I loved hanging out with the boys. I remembered we had to do a project, and draw what we wanted to be when we got older. Before we got to drawing my teacher asked us, I so proudly said, “An Astronaut.” My teacher being her not so charming self-singled me out and asked if I wanted to choose a more suitable career for a woman like a teacher. Never in my life have I considered a career in teaching, though I loved playing school with my stuff animals. I remember very quietly saying, “no, how about a police MAN?” I remember the whole class laughing. I remember feeling so embarrassed. This is when I realized that I was a GIRL. Having the amazing mother that I have, she taught me that whatever a boy can do, a girl can do better. I am currently enrolled in Criminal Justice and aiming to become a detective. I will graduate in June and plan on entering in the police academy this fall. Some things do not change. (Word Count: 219)