Don't Worry: How We Come to Be

How do you suppose we become who we are? Some may argue our parents. Yes this is true, they help us. They give us our two sets of chromosomes, one births, and ideally two raise. But not everyone gets to be them from this simple process. Not me. My mother and father made me a diploid, I exited from my mother’s vagina, and not ideally, my mother raised me. But I am not like my mother. If compared we have few things in common. Our personalities vary slightly, but our ideals and beliefs are oceans apart. My mother eats meat, I do not. I only bring this one up first because it was an issue of great debate between us, and by debate, I mean I told her about my new found vegetarianism, and she said that was stupid, and refused to buy me food for about two weeks, hoping this would change my mind. Unfortunately for her though, I could still eat everything else she bought, and I survived just fine. My mother never had much ambition, and has never pushed her dreams onto me. In fact, she has rarely pushed anything on me. This is both a blessing and a curse. My mother has never demanded high grades from me. She would be happy with C’s. She has never told me to read a book instead of watching TV. She has never discussed the beauty of a poem, or the simplicity of a sunset. We have never talked deeply about movies, or have engaged in a heated debate about politics. So here I am, a meatless honor roll student who loves movies, books, and politics, with all the ambition in the world. And I have gotten none of it from my mother. But if I did not become me from her, then from whom?

Others may argue society. Yes, that could be true. From the moment we are born, society thrusts its unwelcome waves of conformity upon us. We are taught to respect our elders, be nice to others, and that we are nothing without a planned future. But I am not a child of society. From society, my views and beliefs differ immensely. I believe in giving respect for merit, not entitlement, I am nice to people because its the right thing, not because its how I would want to be treated, and I believe that people make mistakes, and should not have to live in hell for the rest of their life because of it. So how have I become me.

I can think of only one way. My mother, when I was little, would read to me. One of my favorite books was I Love You This Much. She read to me all the time. I believe that is why I am a good reader, and why I have developed a fondness for them. When I entered school, I was not amazing at anything in particular. But I wanted to be. I saw the people who would do well, and everyone wants to do well. I wanted to do well. So I began doing well, and I fed off the adoration. I was told I was smart, and I liked that. So I became what society told me I was. And perhaps that’s why I still try hard today. I’d like to think that I have more noble reasons, but a person fairly reveals their true motives, even to themselves.