I was in the second grade when I told myself I was smart, and that I was destined for greatness. I was proud of myself: I never had to work hard for grades others struggled for; everything came naturally and teachers called me gifted. However, I’d never be as smart as Nathan—my close friend, piano prodigy, and class valedictorian. Despite our closeness, we began to drift apart, and all I heard about Nathan were his high grades and...

“Why should I help you? I don’t even know these people. I can barely understand what you’re saying.” That’s the third time in thirty minutes, I thought to myself. I looked, exasperated, wondering who else I could approach in the park. It was filled with senior citizens either playing mahjong or talking to friends, and even those who weren’t would probably give me the same answer. I silently cursed myself for dropping out of Saturday Chinese...