Who You Truly Are?

Daily writing prompt

Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are?

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In life, we experience many things that stick with us in different ways. Some experiences traumatize us, some experiences show us not to do certain things in life, and some just stick with us in ways we can’t imagine. A lot of the experiences I. had taught me a little about raising myself, self-care, and morals for others. I grew up with a split family for starters, so I spent weekends with my dad when he came to get me, whereas a normal child may have grown up with both parents, and doing everything as a family. That one experience showed me what I wanted in life from a man, and as a family. I learned what to allow and what not to allow, not only as a woman, but as a human.

I was raised the old-school way, being a kid outside playing double-dutch, and riding bikes with friends. Of course I saw gang violence, etc., but it made me realize today that number one, a bullet has no name on it, and number two, the type of crowd to be around. I was a little bad as a teen, but I never went overboard, I was doing the things expected as a teen. Ding-dong ditch, sneaking out, but it was only because “A strict parent creates a sneaky child,”. This is where I get the caring instincts of listening and feeling other people’s emotions so deeply, because I wanted those things for myself when I was younger. So now, I ended up being the person I wanted for myself, for others. I also had to learn that everyone wasn’t raised the same, some of us had the same experiences, and handled it differently. For me, it made me stronger. In fact, everything I go through makes me stronger, nothing no longer breaks me because I’m either already prepared for it, or already know what to expect.

You wouldn’t be who you are if you didn’t experience the things you did, and what we tend to do the most is live off of those experiences instead of making it better for those who look up to us. We stay stuck in those ways because we believe that’s really who we are, when if you honestly look in the mirror, you’re bigger than what you’ve been through. I think that’s what made me realize who I truly am. A kind hearted woman, with an open-mind. I through myself in fire without even noticing, because I know no matter what, my experiences do not define who I am today. Not pain, not having epilepsy, I am who I believe I am, and much more.

• Literaturebyjessc ( Jessica Hunter )