Self Changes

When I was younger, my family affected me immensely. I was completely shaped by my family, and my personality was pretty much exactly like my Dad’s. Whatever they told me was the truth, and the way we did things was the best way to do it. My Dad told me the war of 1812 wasn’t actually fought until 1813, and I argued with a teacher about it because I believed my Dad that much.

I think my younger self saw my family as being “better” than other families. My parents worked full time throughout my life but I never went to daycare or similar services. My parents or other family members drove me to school every single day until I left for college. We canned our own tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, and green beans. For reasons like this, I just assumed that my family had everything right.

But as I’ve gotten older, moved out, and made new friends, I have realized my family isn’t so perfect. Not to say I love them any less, I just realized that I can be my own person and I can teach my family about things I have learned from being outside of the nest.

The most notable change I have made to my family is transition to more sustainable eating. My parents have given up all commercially produced meat. They only eat meat that my dad hunted or fished, and also the occasional free range chicken from the local Amish. We also don’t buy cow milk anymore (seriously, why do humans drink hormone filled creamy white liquid that is literally baby cow growth fluid). I was the one that taught my parents about these changes.

From this, it might seem that I am a completely independent mind and I do everything because I want to. But most of these new perceptions and thought processes came about because I went to the Gatton Academy. I made the best friends in the world and they really opened me up to life (Luke started my vegetarianism).

I graduated from Gatton this May and I returned to Western, but my friends went elsewhere. I have spent most of my time alone since the semester has started, and although it’s lonely, it has given me a good chance to examine what is important to ME and what I want to do without as much influence from my family and peers. I feel like I am slowly developing a better sense of myself and I am liking what I’m finding. I was afraid that without my friends I wouldn’t be able to function or do cool things. But I am (sometimes)! I definitely still want that close relationship with my family and friends though. No matter how independent I think I become, they are always the most important and the people that I always come back to.