WHO ARE YOU?
Write a paper describing who you are, especially dealing
with the subjects that have been discussed in class. So far we have
talked about values, goals, emotions, self-concept, communication,
relationships, and sexuality. Even if you don't include all of these
topics, the important thing is that you take time to think about
yourself. Your strengths and weaknesses, your beliefs, your abilities,
your goals and your view of yourself.
The paper will be worth 50 points. It is due Friday, April 3. Make
sure your grammar and spelling are acceptable.
If you have a problem with this assignment see me as soon as possible.
Do not wait until the deadline.
(Faster-loading
version)
My response is hand-written, which was acceptable in those days before
home computers and printers were standard. The teacher awarded me all
50 points. Reading through the essay, I'm amazed by how much of it still
holds true. Then again, some experts believe that your basic personality
traits are set by age 5. I've included some helpful (if a bit excessive)
footnotes.
After sorting through various files of my mind, conscious
and unconscious [1], I have
come to this conclusion of myself: I am human [2].
I possess all emotions, abilities, and possibilities expected of a
human.
I have strengths and weaknesses. My strengths include writing,
singing, laughing, running, and everything I enjoy. My weaknesses
include trigonometry, swimming the crawl stroke, crying, tactlessness,
and everything I hate [3].
I include in my values a strong belief in God, a belief in human
nature, and a belief in myself. I value a sense of culture. By this
I mean the cultural things: Shakespeare, Bach, Raphael, and even
[Ray] Bradbury, [Joan] Baez, and [Keith] Haring [4].
A clean world tops my list as an environmental value.
In the social area of my life I am developing relationships and
learning how to communicate. I have developed friendships and close
friendships with both boys and girls. Beginning two years ago, when
I was a counselor at a
church camp, I have become more outgoing. There I learned to
communicate through body language as well as through voice. Writing
for the school newspaper has also helped me to open up.
My emotions can be confusing and frustrating. One day I may admire
an outgoing individual, and the next day, I may hate him or her for
being so pushy. I tend to suppress my anger, and when I finally release
my hostility, I emerge exhausted and regretful [5].
One area in which I have little patience is sex-role stereotypes.
Many people make sexist jokes about women staying "barefoot and
pregnant." They ridicule any male who shows sensitivity or a
love of such "effeminate" things as music or pastel colors.
Although most people assure that they are "only kidding",
I often feel my anger begin to rise [6].
I have set myself some goals, both immediate and long term. After
I get my driver license, lose some weight, and get accepted to the
Pennsylvania Governor's School of the Arts, I will breathe a sigh
of relief. Until then I will pursue those short-term goals [7].
My major long term goal is to become a journalist and writer. But
first I must be accepted at college and perhaps serve an internship
on a paper [8].
So I have established that I am human, with
human thoughts, goals, values, and emotions. Now I can begin to accept
myself and other people [9].
1. Don't ask me how I explored my unconscious mind. Maybe I wrote part
of this in my sleep.
2. Human, eh? You don't say! Not a squid or a gerbil? If I didn't know
better, I'd think my younger self was just being a smart ass. The truth
is, though, that I was giving what I considered to be a serious and considered
(and ever so deep) response.
3. None of these have changed much. I'm not sure, however, why I considered
running to be one of my strengths. Perhaps I thought I ought to include
a physical strength, to balance out my physical weakness, the crawl stroke.
Ironically, I still love to swim but haven't jogged in ages, ever since
injuring my knee in college. Suffice it to say, never run on a bone-chillingly
cold morning without a proper warmup.
4. I discovered Ray Bradbury through my parents' book collection and Joan
Baez through my mom's records. I first read about Keith Haring's work
in a magazine: possibly YM (then known as Young Miss), which
was my go-to mag for pop culture and also introduced me, believe it or
not, to They Might Be Giants. I loved Haring's primitive, dynamic style,
such a revelation for my orderly, protected teenage self.
5. Then, as now, releasing my pent-up hostility amounted to little more
than some harsh words or a snide comment. Afterwards, though, I unfailing
feel guilty and wish I'd kept a sock in it.
6. Author as an Angry Young Human. Gender stereotypes are still one of
my pet peeves. I believe now I understand why I chose to identify myself
as simply human in the first paragraph. From my earliest days, I found
attempts to identify gender based on personality traits as simply tiresome.
If I do some things that are considered "girly," I do them because
I like them, not because I'm a girl. Likewise, if some of my traits could
be considered "masculine," that doesn't make me a boy. I think
the best way to summarize it is to say that, as an adolescent, I both
wanted to be like Superman and to kiss him. I also wouldn't have minded
being Wonder Woman, but only if she could fly.
7. I did, indeed, get my driver's license, and I also lost weight. I did
not, however, make it into the Pennsylvania Governor's School for writing,
a bitter disappointment. Looking back, the selection process was a bit
odd. We submitted writing samples and then, we semifinalists took part
in a further pop quiz, if you will, where we sat in a room (in Harrisburg,
perhaps — my mother might remember) and had to write a poem on the
spot, using some words they wrote on the chalk board. Seems a bit random,
wot?
8. Been there, done that. The truth is, I never wanted to be a journalist
as badly as I wanted to be a writer. So after earning a bachelor's degree
in broadcast/cable and a master's of fine arts in English (poetry), I
worked for three years as a newspaper reporter/assistant editor for my
hometown newspaper. By now, I could have been working in a larger market,
no doubt, but the job was high-stress. I got a migraine every week, like
clockwork. So now I'm just focusing on the writing bit.
9. Translation: look, I even wrote a conclusion that tied back to my opening
paragraph. Give me an A, already! I'm a writer, dammit!
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