Answering The Question of “Who I Am”
Who am I? In my essay, I will list my age, nationality and religious beliefs, as well as the school I attended, my occupation, and what I do for a living. But does this really define me? After I started to think about the question, I realized it was much more complex than I thought. What is my identity as a person? This essay will provide the answer.
I believe that I am very easy-going. I’m a very easy-going person. I tend to be optimistic about life. I tried my best to make the right decisions. I’m self-motivated. If I want something I will do my best. Although I’m shy initially, once I open up I will be difficult to keep down. Another reason is that I am always open to new challenges. I have always been one to get out of my comfort zone. I enjoy trying new things. It’s all about the experience. You should be more open to trying new things. It is impossible to know if you like something until you do it. For example, the pool scared me. I was terrified of jumping into a pool twelve feet deep. My girlfriend encouraged me to sign up for a queens college swimming class. I was ready for the challenge. It was so hard, I thought. It was hard, it was.
The first day, we were instructed to jump into the pool’s deep end. You can only imagine the thoughts that go through my head. I couldn’t even swim. It wasn’t so bad, I discovered. Swimming became 2 of my hobbies. Although I don’t have the same skills as Micheal, I do enjoy it. This semester, I am taking a scuba diving course. I hope to soon be able to dive in the coral reefs on a tropical island. Life is like a rollercoaster ride. There are ups and downs. Sometimes life can throw us into difficult situations. It doesn’t matter if you fight, flee, or assimilate. When I find myself in difficult situations, I either do or. If there is a problem, I try to assimilate it. I attempt to fully understand the problem. This allows me to act in accordance with it. If I am certain that I am doing the right thing, then I will stick to what I believe and fight for it. If I feel like I don’t want or need to deal with my problems, I may just run from them. I can relate to Holden Caulfield from the book “The Catcher in the Rye”. He quickly becomes disappointed by the life he is given and runs away from his problems. Through the years, I have always attempted to find myself. For me, the question of “Whom am I?” was very complicated. High school was the hardest time in my life. I am always asking myself “What do I want to do with my own life?” I was a cool guy in high school. I tried to please everyone. Be a good fit, socialize with the cool kids and be the most popular guy at school. If someone doesn’t like me, I will do anything to make them see the positive side. I would change my clothes if someone said I didn’t like how I dress. I laugh differently if someone thinks I am funny. To make it seem different, I would try to change my own perceptions. Now that I think about it, it was ridiculous. It took me a while to realize that 3 was how I was defining myself. You are the only one who should know you. You shouldn’t ever try to change anyone. You are who you are. The most important thing is to understand yourself.
As a teenager, I wanted to be able to grow up faster than my peers. At sixteen, I started my first job. My view was that I would gain real-world experience and make some money. It would be fun, I thought. It was a mistake. It was clear to me that there were many Holden “Phonies” in the world. For me, I wanted to grow up quickly. Holden was the exact opposite. He wanted to avoid the maturing process. He shows this fear of change by going to the Museum of Natural History. “The best thing about that museum was that everything stayed exactly where it was. Nobody moves…Nobody is different. You are the only thing that could be different.” He finds museums appealing because they never change and remain frozen. Holden is afraid of the possibility of maturity and change. Holden was always concerned about this. He was afraid of adulthood.
The ducks at central park lagoon is another part of the book that I believe Holden is trying out to understand himself and his circumstances. This question was asked a lot throughout the novel. Holden wanted to know where the ducks go in winter. The ducks show that vanishing is temporary, I believe. Holden may still be traumatized by the loss of his brother Allie. He may use the duck that is leaving the lagoon as a way to get out of his predicament. Holden seems to be afraid of change and disappearance. This is a sign that change doesn’t happen over night.
Every day is filled with experiences we have learned from childhood. Every day brings us different people and presents us with different situations. We learn a lot about ourselves through this journey. With experience, our perceptions and outlook on life change. What I am today would look very different to what I will be in ten years. My identity is constantly changing. I will continue to learn and evolve. The search for the answers to these questions is a lifelong process.
Who I am as a Person
To fully understand myself as a student and as a person, I feel the need for you to know about me and those who have influenced my life. My mom always said that Miss Independent by Kelly Clarkson should be my theme song throughout my life. I was always a solo person. Although I had friends, it wasn’t as if I didn’t, I was able to do things my way. My independence scared me in middle school. Because I was so independent, people wouldn’t want to be around me. But I quickly discovered that this was not true. Because I was so independent, it meant I couldn’t be a part of a wider network and make new friends. This was the moment I realized who I was. I discovered that my identity was affected by who I was around. I eventually found people who brought out the best of me. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
My freshman year in high school was a great one. Although we did most things together, I noticed a shift around Christmas. My friends did a lot without me and my best friend eventually turned everyone against me. Halfway through high school, all my friends died. Never before had I felt so betrayed and lost. But I feel so happy because I have the best friends I’ve ever had. Although they are all college freshmen, they treat me as if I were their family. They took me in when I was lonely and made me feel loved again. They helped me to become who I am today. I’m a quirky, outgoing, shy, yet caring person. I am also responsible, independent and caring. I am strong, independent, impulsive, realistic, and secluded. Without my friends, I wouldn’t have realized all of this.
At this point, you might have decided that this essay is not the same as any college essay or that you feel you are beginning to get to know me. You wouldn’t know that my closest friends are the most important aspect of my life. Although I don’t have many close friends, it doesn’t bother my as much as it used to. Although I am extremely self-conscious, it used to be worse before. It was a belief that I was different from everyone else. It almost cost me my life. Erin, my best friend, helped me overcome this. She is my rock. Our friendship is so easy and effortless. Our friendship is so effortless and easy. We know what to do for each other and everything about them. It was simple: “Write about something you feel your application would not be complete without.” Without Erin, my application would not be complete. Erin has been a huge part of my life. She helped me become the person I am today. She taught me it was okay to be honest. I used to be afraid of confrontations and would hold my tongue when someone said or did something morally objectionable.
You can see that it wasn’t a personality trait or a specific event that had an effect on me but people. Erin has always been there for me throughout my high school career. Now that Erin is at college, it’s only right that she should be part of my application.