Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Coauthors of my Story

This blog post was a bit difficult for me this week, because I had never thought about my life being "coauthored". Thinking about that has really opened my eyes to the different people that have helped shape me into becoming the person I am today, whether our interaction be positive or negative.

 
"Adolescents are in a near constant state of constructing their lives"
 
This quote from the reading stuck out to me because it is so true! People never really stop to think that adolescents are always developing and creating. It's an every day process. Another point that was really well made in the article was that as adults in their lives, we are impacting the way they think about the world, and it is okay if their ideas do not match or conflict the ideas that we believe in.
 
For the assignment we were asked to list 10 people who helped coauthor our lives:
 
  1. My parents
  2. My grandparents
  3. My sister
  4. My nephew
  5. My cousin Jess
  6. Lauren
  7. Danny
  8. My brother
  9. Mrs. Collins
  10. Kaylie 
 
It is hard for me to just pick one of these examples and tell you all about how s/he shaped my life because they are all such a huge part of what makes me who I am today. Some of the people I no longer speak to, and some of them I talk to every single day. Some have impacted me in negative ways and showed me what kind of person I want to be by negative example, and some have done the same using positive examples. If I have to choose one, my mom has helped me tremendously. She has impacted my way of thinking more than anyone else on the list. She has always been open minded with me (especially when I came out) and has supported me and had my back throughout everything. She has always let me make my own decisions, while offering guidance and suggestions. That being said, she has also let me make my own mistakes, offering comfort and help instead of "I told you so." She has been a significant coauthor of my life, and on a list of many, she stands out the most.
 


6 comments:

  1. I like how you wrote that adolescents are always developing and creating but it makes me think sad because I'm too old to be an adolescent but I still think of myself as creating my identity as an adult so now what? But like you go on to say... It's an everyday process.

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  2. I can definitely relate to the idea of accepting that other peoples' ideas of your story may not agree with your own idea of how it goes. It's what you take from others that makes you who you are, and even what you don't take. Also, when you admitted that you don't talk to some of your "coauthors," that was an honest statement that I can also relate to, and I appreciate you sharing this on your blog. Your coauthors don't have to be there for the whole story.

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  3. I can definitely relate to the idea of accepting that other peoples' ideas of your story may not agree with your own idea of how it goes. It's what you take from others that makes you who you are, and even what you don't take. Also, when you admitted that you don't talk to some of your "coauthors," that was an honest statement that I can also relate to, and I appreciate you sharing this on your blog. Your coauthors don't have to be there for the whole story.

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  4. Kate,

    I also agree with a point that was well made in the reading that you mentioned. That is, "As adults we do have an impact on how youth views the world, and it is okay if their ideas do not match or conflict the ideas that we believe in". More often than not, youth feel as if we think we have to agree with everything they believe in. In reality, that is not the case and we should help spread the idea, that these differences are okay.

    -Milena

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  5. I really enjoyed your post. I like how you included everyone who has coauthored your life, both positively and negatively. When I was making my list, I didn't do this as much. But looking back now, there are definitely a lot of people who helped shape me by being an example of how I do not want to be.

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  6. I like the inclusion of the negative people who have impacted you. I think it's easy for most to think of all the positive people who have impacted you and harder to acknowledge those who weren't so great. I'm a firm believer in the quote, "Everything you go through, grows you" and I think the inclusion and acceptance of those who weren't so beneficial in life, are still beneficial in your story. Because of them, you have become a smarter, stronger, and better person.

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