Question: How do you define you?
What words do you use to describe yourself when you meet somebody new?
Is it an automatic response on the tip of your tongue that you’re ready to say?
Or do you start with your name? Your age? Your occupation? Your background? Your hobbies? Your interests? Or what you like to do on a rainy day?
If you ask me to define myself now I’d say, “I’m Juan López. I’m 23. Milwaukee born, and I love to dance, stay fit and cook.”
But just from that, would it be a good gauge of who I am? Or would you take more simply from how I look?
So I ask you again, how do you define you?
Would you tell me how you like dogs, how you hate greedy people, how you’re a natural blonde, how you love to work out, too?
Or are you just looking for something that will make me say, “You remind me of this person I once knew.”
Are you religious, indigenous, promiscuous, conspicuous, fearless, ambitious, a feminist, or consider yourself a realist?
Are you shy, sometimes bi, maybe half Thai, like getting high, enjoy being a wise guy, or like me and always wonder why?
Would you tell me: “One day, I’m gonna be rich. Then I’m gonna go buy a car, but I won’t know which. I’m gonna be that girl no guy wants to ditch. Because I’m a bad, bad bitch.”
See what I’m getting at, is it’s tough to put ourselves into words.
When we try to define ourselves, we’re basically saying: “This is how I want to be seen, so don’t listen to what you’ve heard.”
But if you ask me, and that’s just if you ask me, I’m gonna tell you this whole thing is crazy.
As you’re reading this, you’ll probably see there is no way to truthfully define who we are, yet people still try to sum themselves up into three sentences, which never ceases to amaze me.
Because the only way to know me is to walk a mile in my shoes.
See my smiles, my cries, my ups, my downs, my friends, my enemies, my happiness, and my blues.
Our reputations are built through repeated actions.
Not white lies, people-pleasing verbs or fabricated passions.
What I’m trying to say is don’t be constrained by the clear-cut confinement of a few phrases.
Because in reality, our lives are huge books and we’re only showing people a few pages.
But if you insist on asking me to define myself, I’m gonna tell you three things that will always be: I’m a dreamer, I’m a believer and my mind roams free.
But…that’s just if you ask me..