I can’t help but to find myself wondering, “Who exactly am I?” I know the basics of who I am. I am my mother’s daughter, my brother’s sister, and that one awkward individual. Why are these qualities “me”?
How do others perceive me? What am I like? Am I nice or am I rude? Am I quiet or do I talk too much? It really doesn’t matter, except that the very idea fascinates me.
Perceptions can vary greatly. We don’t typically think about this, we take for granted that everyone sees the same things in the same way. Look at your best friend it’s very likely that one of your other friends seems them in a different way. They may not even be particularly fond of each other. Perception.
I love asking people to recount an event that I was there for, because while all the basic facts are the same, the affair is colored by their own thoughts. It’s wonderful! Seriously, you should try it sometime. I even do this with events that I wasn’t present for; I just ask two different people the same question.
People can potentially be easier to understand, if you keep in mind that everyone has separate and distinct thought processes. While you are the center of your own life, they are the center of theirs. They don’t know what you’re thinking; they only have their prior knowledge, your appearances, your words and your actions.
You are as much as an enigma as the next person. Farewell!
Ashley Kirtman 