The Perks of Being a Perfectionist

A few months ago, my younger teenage sister suggested a book for me to read: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. For those who know my sister, Alex’s suggestion was definitely left-field; between the two of us, I’m the reader. So when she handed me the book with exclamations about its depth and quick pace, I was curious. So during the week of my Spring Break, I read it. It took me 12 hours to finish the small, fresh and smart book, and as much as it pained me to admit (and I’m not exaggerating by using ‘pained’), my sister’s limited taste in novels was correct. The book was powerful. Although meant to be an honest portrayal of teenage ordinariness, it impacted me, a graduate student whose preoccupation was the Harlem Renaissance and the satire embedded within color consciousness. What were the perks of my being____(insert some random label that has been attached to me for years)? What were the perks of being a graduate student besides unlimited access to the best scholars and scholarly works in the world? It dawned on me that this small book suggested that every label given to us, even the worst ones, can have some kind of a “perk” embedded within them, one that does something for you that no other label can do adequately.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been told that I’m an over-achiever, a worrier, and a perfectionist (among other things, but we’ll stick with these more kind ones). I took all of these labels as negatives. Yes, I always thought that being called an “over-achiever” was an insult. I guess that speaks to a problem of society, where it’s cooler to just achieve, but that’s for another entry. Anyway, it wasn’t until I read this book that I began to see being an over-achieving, worrisome perfectionist in a different light. Yes, they have their negatives, but the perks outweigh them in value, even if it’s not in quantity. With worrying and perfectionism came the critical eye, steadfast work ethic and understanding of humanity that has anchored me throughout my entire life. From these catalysts, I developed my concept of achievement and big dreaming (called by others, “over achieving”). And I’m proud of it.

Now as I sit, writing this, my first personal blog entry for a blog by four inspired and accomplished dreamers, I consider the perks of my present condition. What are the perks of being an unemployed, recently graduated, aspiring lawyer, prepping for her LSATs in February? My answer: for the sake of this blog, some interesting damn stories.

**And in case anyone was wondering, I will be going to see the film adaptation in theatres. And yes, this was a semi-shameless plug for which, it should be mentioned, I will not be paid by Summit Entertainment, its distributor. Still, read the book, see the movie. And in that order.