I Am (Anything But Ordinary)

“I am a great admirer of mystery and magic. Look at this life, all mystery and magic.” – H. Houdini. 

We only get this one life to live, so why live it for anyone but yourself? 

I think people feel the need to define themselves and others in a single sentence because it’s easier to put an individual in a single box and slap a label on them than it is to see a person for all that they are and choose to be. We live in a very complicated world and most people are afraid to be themselves for fear of judgment and rejection; conforming to someone else’s perception of you may sometimes sound more appealing than being misunderstood.

I stopped worrying about how others “labeled” me a long time ago. But every now and again someone says something in passing that reminds me how hard it is for some people to see and accept others for who they are. There are so many people who feel it’s more important to fit in than stand out. They would rather stay in their own circle with people who dress like them, talk like them, gossip like them, live like them, etc. Difference is ridiculed instead of admired; uniqueness is laughed at instead of embraced. I’m not saying it’s necessarily bad to stick to one type of friend or social group or group mentality, I just find it unfortunate.

I love embracing new experiences, new life lessons, new ideals and ways of seeing the world. You only achieve this if you are open to people who are different than you. You have to have an open mind if you want to experience true freedom. 

I am complex. When you peel back one layer, there is another one in its place. I don’t conform, I simply can’t. 

I am a writer.

I am a photographer.

I am a dreamer.

I am a wanderer. I am always searching, always seeing. 

I am an adventurer. Always exploring the impossible.

I am filled with wanderlust.

I am an old soul who is very much old school.

I am loyal, even when others are not. 

I am the Gatekeeper of Secrets. If someone tells me something in confidence I will take it to my grave.

I am a professional.

I am hardworking but I relish the moments where I can do absolutely nothing. 

I am serious, yet I am also the biggest goof around those lucky enough to experience it.

I am a romantic, though not hopelessly so.

I am responsible, but I find ways to rebel.

I am independent, but I know asking for help is necessary at times.

I am a leader. 

I am Empathic, I feel everything. 

I am strong, though there are times I am weak.

I am an individual, my own person.

I am human, therefore I am flawed. 

I am privileged, so I should always be a voice for those that do not have one. 

I am not for everyone, and that is perfectly ok. 

I crave the wild, the open roads, the sand and soil beneath my bare feet. I crave the water; I love to be surrounded by an ocean. How do you explain something as magnificent as an ocean? Being surrounded by something so much bigger than you, bigger than any of us. 

I love to laugh; those deep belly laughs that happen when you are with people who know you and love you the way you are. The kind of laugh that escapes when you can truly be yourself.

I hate to cry and if you catch me crying it is almost always because I am bone rattling angry and not sad.

I used to think that in order to be an artist you had to be a painter or a sculptor. I thought you had to have a physical masterpiece to show the world in order to be a real artist. I always tell people that my sister is the artist; I have watched her art develop over the years through her drawings, paintings, crafty DIY works, and self-expression. It’s something I have always admired.

I have learned that art comes in many forms. I have allowed self-doubt cloud the way I perceive myself and the things I am really good at. But my writing and my photography is my art. The way I see the world and how I portray it is my art. 

I am, simply put, many things. I can’t be defined because I am ever evolving. 

I. Am. ME.

And that is a wonderful thing… Knowing who I am. 

Always, Rebecca