I am... (A Social Experiment)

I am strong.  I am physically, mentally and emotionally strong. There are important things that comprehend with being strong. I am strong to know what is the right decision but I am also strong to deal with the consequences if I make the wrong decision. Being strong could bring out the happy side of you, the mad side of you and even the sad side of you. Strength has many different meanings and different people interpret strength in many different ways. Some people think it means how many sports you play and how much muscle you have, others think it means pain and how you deal with pain. For me, it’s the second one.

I am willing.  Willing to take risks, willing to fail. Willing to take the longer path on the twistier road rather than the short, smooth ride. This is important because everybody makes mistakes and we should all learn from our mistakes that we may make down the twisty road. I can build by not only doing what is right, but also by failing.

I am lost.  Although we must take the longer road at times, sometimes that road is a couple miles too long. We get lost along the path, most of us don’t find our way back. When we get lost, the only thing we can do to be found, is fix ourselves. Fix the problems, fix the pain. Fix the tough times we have brewing inside us, fix what we didn’t know were problems.

I am caring.  Deep down I care about what people say to me and I care about how I react to them. I care about people and most of the time the “people” is only me. I care about myself. I care about what I look like, I care about what I wear to school everyday and how I do my hair and how I do my makeup because I care about what people say behind my back that I don’t know about. People say “You can’t let those words tear you down.” But what they should be saying is, “I know how you feel.” Everyone goes through this and everyone cares about what other people say about them. The only thing is, the people talking about others just don’t CARE.

I am emotional.  I cry, I laugh, I fall but I also get back up. I find the hope within myself and I pick myself back up when I fall. Times get tough, I know, but there is always, no matter what, still that spark in you to start your fire back up, even when the wood is wet.

I am determined.  I find the path of life and I take it. Sometimes the path isn’t always lying in front of you, but takes you on a different journey to find it. That’s where determination comes into play. Most do not succeed when finding the path of life, but I work hard to get there. I fall, I lose, I get lost but I find my way back through determination. With determination comes struggle, comes heartbreak for various reasons and most importantly comes the path and finding the path makes all the struggle and heartbreak worth it.

I am knowing.  I know what is right and what is wrong. I know that ‘doing something just because your friend does it’ is most of the time wrong. I know I am loud, I know I get excited too easily. But, I also know that sometimes the only path of life is going to be long and twisty and I know that life will never be perfect. I know I am not perfect, but I also know that I am strong, willing, lost, caring, emotional, determined and knowing. These things that I know that I am make me who I am and I am okay with not being a perfect child living in a perfect world. I know.

Video and reflection by Emily K (submitted by Ms. Pinzl)