Who am I?

I am my parents’ daughter. I am my brother’s sister. I am my neighbor’s neighbor and I am my friend’s friend. I took my father’s height and I stole my mother’s hair. I share my brother’s stubbornness. I’ve borrowed my neighbor’s friendliness and I’ve acquired my friend’s loyalty.

I am the books I read. I am the characters I fall in love with and I am the conflicts they face. I’ve been impressed by Harry Potter’s unselfishness and willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good. I’ve witnessed Beatrice Prior’s bravery against overwhelming odds. I’ve taken to heart Jace Wayland’s tragedies and I’ve embraced Michael Bennett’s perseverance.

I am the Ted talks I listen to. I am the Instagram posts I like. I am the Facebook posts I view while scrolling through my feed. I’ve grown up with a smartphone in one hand and a computer mouse in the other. I’ve seen first hand the power of social media and I am the outcome of the dot-com revolution. I understand what it’s like to be part of the “guinea pig” generation.

I am the days this country forever holds in remembrance. I am the memorials built on top of tragedy and I am the bouquet flowers left abandoned by a wall of names. I am of the youngest of those who watched the towers fall and I am the oldest of those who grew up in the middle of modern day war. I am the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, relentlessly patrolling for an unnamed friend.

But who I am goes deeper than impressions. I am also my dog’s joy when he sees me walk through the door. I am also my brother’s pride when he looks at an American flag. I am also my trainer’s sorrow when an old lesson horse dies.

The person I am is merely a compilation of the environment around me. I reflect the world I grew up in, and I have been influenced by the emotions surrounding me. I am not a mirror, but more of a carving. Only time will tell what shape I will become. Every second of every hour of every day another design is whittled on by the world around me.

I am me. I am my friend. I am society.

Who are you?