The journey to discovering one’s identity can be challenging. Like in Helen Keller’s chapter, “The Most Important Day, “we are “like a ship” only “without a compass” to lead us to our destination of who we are. We must continue to sail on through the waves of life in order to reach the “harbor”. Growing up a bi-racial child, Kenyan and Irish, in a mostly white suburban town, always made me feel like I was different. I never really knew where I fit in. I allowed others to tell me who I was. Discovering myself identity was a process of trial and error. In the end, I learned being different was never the problem, it was the solution. All the qualities that made me different, were what made me, me. There are many steps you can take in discovering your own identity. Whether it is overcoming barriers, the choices you make, or the meaning of your name, you too, can discover who you are.
In life we are faced with barriers in discovering one’s self potential. Barriers may be seen as negative, but without the negative, there would be no positive. Helen Keller was a young child who was born blind and deaf. She faced the barrier of not communicating or understanding others. With the help of a compassionate teacher she broke down her barriers. Helen was able to understand and communicate for the first time in her life. In Helen’s chapter, “The Most Important Day”, she states, “There were barriers this is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away.” Helen learned that she was not much different from everyone else. She could learn, communicate, and understand, too. Overcoming your barriers may give you strength and power, but also give you insight as to who you are and what you want. Similarly my barrier that I overcame was finding my identity. When I was young, children would tease me about my skin color. They would tell me I was adopted because I was not the same “color” as my mother. I doubted myself and who I was. I allowed the color of my skin define who me. In time, I learned to stand up for myself and be me, without any input. By being myself and not what others told me I was, only then was I able to discover my identity. In overcoming our barriers, we are faced with choices.
Life is all about choices. They can be the simplest choices. What shoes should I wear today? Should I buy that top? Or they can be some of the biggest choices, choices that affect your life. Should I follow my friends, although they are making bad decisions? Should I stay in school or quit? All choices whether large or small, simple or complex can help you to realize something about yourself. You may make bad choices along the way, but in return you may discover the good. In Sally Satel’s article, “Addiction Doesn’t discriminate”, she speaks about the portrayed idea of drug use. She states, “Rather, it is supposed to suggest that any individual, no matter who, is vulnerable to the ravages of drug use.” In the article, Satel paints the picture of two friends “trying cocaine” for the first time, “just to see what it is like”. One friend stops, while the other continues to use again. She states, “Asking for more drug is no guarantee of being seduced into routine use.” This is a great example of good and bad choices. “Addiction discriminates” because we are all different. A person is not destined to be an addict nor is an addict destined to be an addict forever; it all depends on the choices a person makes. Experimenting with drugs may not be the best decision, but through the experience you may find that, that is not the person you are, and instead walk away. One choice we did not have much say in, is our names.
Our names are a big step in the process of discovering our self-identity. We use them in everyday life, whether is filling out paperwork, one of your friends shouting hi, or introducing ourselves to someone. Our name is the introduction as to who we are, and holds a lot of meaning. In the article “Be Specific” by Natalie Goldberg, she writes, “Give things the dignity of their names.” Behind every name is a story. My name came about from the Beatle song Michelle. When my mother was driving to the hospital she heard the song play on the radio. After I was born, both my parents tried hard to come up with a name to suit their daughter. My mother began to sing the song, and fell in love with the name. My first name is a great representation of me and my love for my music, and I believe it suits me well. Goldberg continues to say, “It takes the blur out of our mind; it connects us to the earth.” My last name is more than just a name, it represents culture. Many people mistake my true nationality because of my appearance. My name corrects this is. I am proud to say my name because it reminds me and others of who I am. What does your name mean to you? Through your name you can discover your identity.
The journey to discovering your identity is not the easiest. John Steinbeck once wrote, “A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” “A journey is a person itself”, along the way you discover new, exciting, sometimes shocking things about yourself. Whether it is overcoming barriers, the choices you make, or the power of your name, there are many steps you can take in discovering your own identity. Have you discovered yours yet?
