Where I am from 

By Fatima Aslam 

 

I am from the busy streets of New Jersey and New York.

Loud noises, so common like white noise. 

The one dollar pizza that you can’t find anywhere else.

The strangest foods, the crowded streets, and waiting for the green light. 

I am from treating others the way you want to be treated. 

 Where I am from we respect elders and the young. 

From those tiny apartment houses, to going to the neighborhood pool and making new friends. 

I am from Livingston, New Jersey and the Queens, New York. 

 

I am from waking up at 4:30 in the morning to pray, and exercise for over an hour. 

I am from reading the Quran everyday, from learning Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, and many more.

From the most extra weddings and the prettiest brides.

I’m from lying down in the summer nights dreaming about my future.

From being compared with cousins in all that I do. 

Finding a bird nest in my laundry room. 

Running down the hill, and feeling ecstatic. 

From eating Mama’s extremely spicy curry everyday for almost all my meals.

From fasting in Ramadan, and feeling so tranquil after having a ginormous dinner with the fam.  

 

Where I’m from, I grew up learning boxing, and karate.

From my dad always trying to convince me to wrestle and fight. 

From having races with my dad in the neighborhood. 

Always drinking mint lemonade, because Mama said so. 

Being the eldest means I have the most responsibility. 

Caring about my little siblings, and being entertained by what we would do. 

Always trying to get outside, whether it was rolling down the hill or swinging on the swing.

 

From building forts around the house and bicycling down the hills.

 Where I am from eating the piled up snow and pouring rose syrup and eating it like a snow cone.

Where I am from we sprint to the ice cream truck. 

Where I’m from girls weren’t supposed to workout and care about their physical strength, but I did.  

From enjoying every second with my family.