Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Hello. My Name Is.

"Tell me something about yourself."

Time and time again, this has proven to be one of the most challenging statements thrown at me. I mean, sure, I have a lot to say- my name, my age, my likes, my dislikes, my course, my dreams, my aspirations, my so-called accomplishments. But, it never really felt quite right to me.

I'd say my name. I'd give my age. Then, I'd find myself pausing and thinking, "Now, what?" What do people even mean when they ask you to say something about yourself? Are they asking you to define who you are? To put to words your entire being? Because I highly doubt that mentioning my petty likes and dislikes would accomplish that. Neither would my wishful thinking and almost-impossible dreams.

I could start talking about my ideals, my thoughts about the world. That seems closer to the goal but when I start the ball rolling on that, I'd never stop. Besides, that seems like setting yourself up to being the too-much-information girl. I could maybe share one of the life changing moments in my life. But, who does that?

In the end, I stare wide-eyed at that person and smile. Then, I state my likes and dislikes. Because really, how else do we answer questions like that? And, isn't that exactly how people see others, nowadays?

People think they know who you are when they know what you eat, what you drink, what you don't, what you watch, what you read, what your IQ is, what you placed in an exam, how much you have in your bank account. It's almost as though they believe such singular things could possibly measure up to who you are as a whole.

Exactly when did people start being nothing more than a few lines in a black and white paper? When did we start seeing human beings as nothing more than statistics? When did it become so easy to define who people are?

I'm not sure when all these things happened. I'm not sure why. But I am sure that I despise it. I am, with the entirety of my being, against it. Why? Because I am so much more than just a number. I am so much more than a mere collation of words. I am a being so complex and beautiful it would take more than a thousand years to decipher exactly who I am. And, this goes for each and everyone of us.

So, why? Why limit ourselves by mere words, by incomplete images?

Hi! My name is Doris Dayne. And, I'd like to know who you are.

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