Sister Sensei

In “Because My Father Always Said…”, Sherman Alexie implies that he often looked to Jimi Hendrix for guidance in his life, especially with issues with his family relationships and his Native American identity. He mentions that Jimi Hendrix “led the way like a snowplow”. Before writing this, I was trying to decide who the Jimi Hendrix of my life was. Who has guided, helped, and shaped me? I went back and forth and realized there wasn’t one celebrity I consistently looked to. Instead, it was my older sister that seemed to appear in my mind. It’s not that I’ve looked to her every time I faced hardships, but when I did, I knew I was going to turn out okay.

When I was in first grade and getting bullied by a girl that I thought was my friend, my sister was the one who protected me. At first, I felt that experiences like this one allowed me to hide behind my older, stronger, and louder sister. But as I continued to watch her from behind, I found that she was plowing the way for me while patiently waiting for me to step forward. Because of my sister, by the time I was in 3rd grade, I was confident enough - maybe even a little too confident - to tell the girl who never liked me and my friends that she was “ugly and mean”. Although I've been able to upgrade my vocabulary on my own, I continue to find power through my sister. I still see her as my Jimi Hendrix.