The more I continue to read Ordinary Girls, the more invested I get.
The more we progress in the reading, the more Diaz talks about her personal relationships and friendships. I was shocked to learn that at 18 she was already married, and separated. Actually, I was shocked about everything that happened in her life at that age. It made me look back and realize all that I have been through in my 18 years of life and how grateful I am to have been raised in a stable home.
The differences between our lives are immense, but they are familiar to me as I have heard similar stories from friends and family. Things like that happen everyday to a lot of people. Relationships are complicated, as we can see through her experiences and our own as well.
She then shares her story about her joining the ARMY after spending time doing drugs and failing her GED. I heard the military can be a great way for troubled people to change and find their paths as it gives structure, discipline and responsibility. It has never been something I was a huge fan of for myself, but it can be for others
Karen, I was also surprised at everything that has happened so far and at such young age it can really change people. Likewise, reading about Jaquira’s life makes me reflect on mine and allows me to notice how blessed I really am. Jaquira has experienced things that most people in their lifetime don’t, but it’s what shaped her to be who she is today and what pushed her to publish this book.
Like you mentioned, separation can have very severe effects on one’s own mental health, I could only imagine what Díaz was going through, which evidently led to her departure from ordinary life, to entering the military. Thank you for sharing that piece of the book Karen, I feel like it almost resonates with the post I created, also about separation, but in a “two sides of a coin” type of way.