Someone wise once said that you are the average of the people around you. I describe the person who said this as wise because its basic common sense. If you spend your time around a bunch of comedians who laugh a lot, you're most likely going to pick up on it and start laughing too. That's empathy.
So if you're the average of the people around you, how is it that one can identify themselves as being an individual?
I've met a lot of people in my life, however, I believe that any person that reoccurs throughout my life must play a significant role. They wouldn't be in my life if I weren't suppose to learn anything from them. The lessons I learn from these people, whether they be family members, friends, peers, customers, or just straight up strangers, are lessons that can be negative or positive. I may learn how not to behave from a particular person, and I may learn exactly how to behave from another. Being that in public high school a person is exposed to many different examples, I've learned a lot.
I've known the jocks, the kids that practice religions, the drama kids, the choir kids, band kids, artsy kids, and the do nothing kids. From these people that surround me, I've taken the lessons they've taught me and applied them to my life, but have been careful to select only the lessons that matter most. I like to imagine that in five years time, when a person is asked if they remember who I was, that they will have only good things to say about me. One may call this goal unrealistic, but realism is overrated.
From the people like jocks I've learned that working hard pays off. There seems to be a negative connotation with the word, "jock." Automatically, you probably imagined someone who dates only cheerleaders, bullies the nerds, and barely gets passing grades. However, that is not so. The word, "jock" is overused in the way that it is used to describe even the most dedicated of athletes. Some of these athletes that I've come across may be called a jock when they're off the field because they like to have fun and play around. However, as soon as they're on the field, it's go time. It's time to focus and get their head in the game. From these athletes, I've learned that there are times when it's alright to take a break, and other times when I must dedicate my talents to helping the team.
Although I do not consider myself a very religious person, I do not reject religion entirely. The religious students that I've met at school are wonderful people, no different from you nor me. The only thing that sets them apart is that they simply have a different perspective on life. But these students fascinate me, though, because even when things get tough, they stick to what they believe in. They've taught me to hold on to my opinions and always remember what's important to me through thick and thin.
For through thick and thin, everyone wears a face when they are put in a different environment due to defensiveness and empathy. The people that can control their face perfectly are the drama kids. These are probably the most flexible and resilient kinds of people a person can meet. They are also some of the trickiest people to truly get to know, because they're so good at always playing a part. Nevertheless, the drama kids I've met are open-hearted people, who have taught me how to stay strong, or at least do a darn good job at faking it.
Next, beauty comes in many forms, one form being music. I am a vocalist and a previous choir kid myself, so bare with me if I come off as a little biased. Choir kids are very expressive, yet disciplined. They love to show off their talent, but love to always keep people guessing. A choir kid is also never just a choir kid, they're always so involved in so much more because they are versatile, which is required of any musician. Choir kids have taught me to be well rounded and always prepared to perform.
For the sake of time, I'm going to have to cut the next few short.
Band kids taught me to never underestimate the introverts, because they can hit all the right notes if you give them the chance. Artsy kids taught me to always be confident in my strokes, and that sometimes you have to improvise. The do nothing kids taught me that it's good to take a break and relax for a little bit in between always being up and at em.
So I've become the average of the people around me. I've taken the lessons that I've learned from my environment and used them to become the person that I want other people to see me as. I'm not just one person, I am many. I am a combination of hard work, faith and dedication, of ability, flexibility, and versatility. I am the element of surprise, the improvisational skill, and hesitation.
Being an individual is not being different from the people around you. It's being like them, just in your own way.
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