Identity Crisis
As a scientist, I am aware that life is full of an endless list of unknowns: Are we alone in the universe? How did life begin? How does gravity work? These are the BIG unknowns. Then there are the little unknowns: Does she like me? What should I have for dinner? Does this shirt look good? Is there food in between my teeth? What should I blog about?
We as people don’t like to think too much about the big unknowns. They are too complex and the fact that we may never have answers to them leaves us with an uneasy feeling, hence why many of us choose to ignore these big unknowns. We occupy our minds with the little unknowns, questions to which we will eventually find answers to. There is one question though that does not fall …show more content…
Growing up as a child of Mexican Immigrants in an American suburb my first encounter with this formidable question came early. In first grade I was asked, “Where are you from?” by a classmate. I said “I my parents are from Mexico but I was born in in the US”. Her reply took me by surprise, “So are you Mexican or American?”. I never thought about it, I did not really know what I was. I just …show more content…
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that I have finally answered the question after only 20 years. The sad news is that there is no answer. Let me clarify, there is no ONE answer. Who I am isn’t composed or defined by one thing. My nationality, sexuality, name, career aspirations they make me, me. To sit down and write down were I fall into all of these categories would take an eternity because there are a million different categories that I could fit in to. Not to mention that who I am is always fluctuating, every new experience, new success and failure leads to a new me. I simply just am. It seems that 6-year-old me was on to something back then. I should have listened to her more, it would have certainly made the past 14 years a hell of a lot
As a scientist, I am aware that life is full of an endless list of unknowns: Are we alone in the universe? How did life begin? How does gravity work? These are the BIG unknowns. Then there are the little unknowns: Does she like me? What should I have for dinner? Does this shirt look good? Is there food in between my teeth? What should I blog about?
We as people don’t like to think too much about the big unknowns. They are too complex and the fact that we may never have answers to them leaves us with an uneasy feeling, hence why many of us choose to ignore these big unknowns. We occupy our minds with the little unknowns, questions to which we will eventually find answers to. There is one question though that does not fall …show more content…
Growing up as a child of Mexican Immigrants in an American suburb my first encounter with this formidable question came early. In first grade I was asked, “Where are you from?” by a classmate. I said “I my parents are from Mexico but I was born in in the US”. Her reply took me by surprise, “So are you Mexican or American?”. I never thought about it, I did not really know what I was. I just …show more content…
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that I have finally answered the question after only 20 years. The sad news is that there is no answer. Let me clarify, there is no ONE answer. Who I am isn’t composed or defined by one thing. My nationality, sexuality, name, career aspirations they make me, me. To sit down and write down were I fall into all of these categories would take an eternity because there are a million different categories that I could fit in to. Not to mention that who I am is always fluctuating, every new experience, new success and failure leads to a new me. I simply just am. It seems that 6-year-old me was on to something back then. I should have listened to her more, it would have certainly made the past 14 years a hell of a lot