Alpha huh, what?

I should probably be writing a precis right now, but I'm not feeling it.

This past weekend I was inducted into a hoop-jumpers society. The ceremony was one of those tasteful affairs where professors rattle off each students’ achievements to the subdued applause of their parents and peers. When it came my turn, I was pleasantly surprised by my advisor’s introduction of me. Instead of listing my accomplishments, she chose to define me by my character and my wounds.

She described the various meanings of my names and explained how I embodied each of them. She briefly mentioned work I’d done, but placed overwhelming emphasis on my personality and affliction.

I was so encouraged by my advisor’s synopsis of me because it truly reveals where I am in life right now. In the past year, I’ve fought with the idea that all I am is what I’ve done. I took dramatic steps to negate that perception by dropping the Echo and learning to say “no.” The result has been a much more fulfilling semester in which I’ve faced my everyday battles head-on instead of burying them beneath workaholic tendencies. Slowly but surely, I’m discovering who I am and what I desire out of life. It’s good to know that others are seeing the fruit of this invigorating/agonizing process.

Humanity should not be defined simply by labors and accolades. It should be defined by stories. Are we not human beings as opposed to human doings? I am my feelings, my desires, my hopes, my wounds, my struggles, my stories. So what if I can jump through some hoops? What is important is that I am an authentic human being.