The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

1

When Max and I finally reach closer toward the front of the crowd, I can see the large pool that stretches around the grand and modern two story tall mansion that Maeve Sun Lively owns. If I'm right, I think her mansion is even larger than the whole apartment I live in. Which in fact, my apartment has five floors, the paint already ripping off, and in my small room I rent from that low and ugly apartment, where the living room is the bedroom and the kitchen is barely combined with the bathroom, I think Maeve has a house I can never fathom to have. Or a life that I want but can never have. Well, the success she has had her whole life which I will never be able to reach.

Looking back, she's basically been a role model my entire life. I liked watching her movies and shows, that part is true. But what I really enjoyed is how she proved herself to the world. How successful she became. How influential she became. But mainly, I think she was a celebrity I related to the most.

My whole childhood, people either made fun of me or they asked me these ridiculous questions which I sometimes wish I actually have the answer to.

Yes, I'm asian, and I have white parents and a white last name because I'm adopted. Exactly how many times did I have to tell and repeat that to people? What used to really bother me was that I didn't look like my parents and I really wanted to. They have big round blue eyes, and curly blonde and brown hair. I have slightly smaller brown eyes and deep jet black hair that's probably straighter than a stick. I hated it. I grew up in a poor neighborhood and mostly everyone was either white or black. I was the only asian, and I think as a child, even if you're simple minded, you'd see the obvious difference.

They made fun of me because I didn't look like my parents. They called me out because I didn't look like them but I had names like them. Although not everyone was exactly that mean, but they asked me questions I'd rather not have to hear or answer.

"Are you Chinese or Korean or Japanese?"

"Do you like being asian?"

"Does this mean you speak Chinese? Wait, do you know English then?"

And sometimes people rather just assume things about you.

"Oh, I watched this Korean drama last night with my mom, do you think the guy really liked her?"

"You must eat rice everyday, right?"

"Can you help me with math? I mean, you must be good right, since you're like asian and all."

How do they assume I just watched the show because I am asian or they just assume I'm Korean? How do they just assume I eat rice everyday? How do they just assume I'm good at math because I'm asian? I don't know, I don't fucking know was what I wanted to scream in all of their faces.

I hated being asian and having white parents and a white last name (I love my parents though). But then, everything me and the other kids did share in common and that didn't all have to do with my heritage, was Maeve Sun Lively. Whenever the neighborhood kids and I had time, we'd run to one of our houses and turn on one of Maeve's movies or shows. And I think Maeve might have also helped me fit in with the kids, without her, maybe I'd be completely an outcast.

My friends liked to talk about how beautiful she looked and how great she was in her films. I agree, but I liked the fact that she was a little like me. She was half asian half white, and despite that, she didn't let people fit her into all kinds of ridiculous categories for her heritage. People only knew her for her, the things she has done and accomplished. Her success. And I realized then, I didn't care if I'm asian and have white parents, or if I'm adopted, I wanted people in the future to know me for me, like Maeve Lively. I wanted people to know me for my work, my writing, and that was what I looked up to about Maeve Lively.