Essay 1 - Rough Draft

Essay 1

Nicolas Siino
09/19/14
ENGL Writing Skills Workshop
Professor Young

                                                            Importance of Identity

"An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience"  James Baldwin.  Identity helps define one as an individual as demonstrated in "Tame the Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua as exemplified by Gloria's use of her variations of spanish.  While in "Black Power" by James McBride, he was unable to identify himself because he was black, his mother was white, and he grew up in a time associated by the Black Power movement, whites against blacks.  James McBride is defined by his identity.  James had difficulty reconciling the rise of black power with the fact that his mother was white. James had to overcome certain obstacles in order to get to know himself. By analyzing his thoughts and emotions he was able to discover where he fit into society.   As defined by the Psychology Glossary in Alley Dog, identity is defined as  "The easiest way I know to explain and understand identity is this way: a person's identity is his or her own sense of self; of who they are. "  As such your identity can be defined by your language and use of language as it was for Gloria in "Tame the Wild Tongue."  Identity can also be defined by the way that James McBride in "Black Power" reconciled his upbringing by a white mother in a black neighborhood.

My identity is defined by the fact that I have lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 17 years and have had to overcome many obstacles.  There are many different qualities that a person may poses that would contribute to their personality.  For example, I have suffered with arthritis a disease that is debilitating however, I have learned to rise above it. RA has affected my hips, knees and ankles which has made it difficult to walk, run, and perform simple tasks.  I was always told not to worry about being the last person to finish a race or having to take multiple breaks during gym class, but I did worry.  Over the years  I felt that combating these issues was so much harder than living with physical pain.  RA has brought a lot of issues into my life that I can’t control, however I constantly remind myself that the one thing I can control is my attitude. My favorite sport and one I loved to play was football. Being part of a team and having comradery was something I took pride in.  As my disease progressed, I could no longer participate in the sport that help me forget about the pain. Once, I entered high school I felt that things were more within my grasp.  I volunteered my time as an assistant coach for my younger brother’s football team. It was very rewarding to have children look up to me with respect and valve my guidance and determination. My experiences have helped me grow, mature, boost my confidence and increase my self esteem. This has given me great satisfaction that I have actively done something for my health, not just taken an injection, but physically and mentally contributed towards conquering my RA.  I am more than this disease; I will not let this overcome my life, my conversations and my attitude. No one will ever take my identity or any of the things I have accomplished away from me.                       

As one lives life, your identity continues to be refined and change the way that you are and who you become.  At age 18, I developed Crohn's disease which is inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the intestinal tract.  I was hospitalized at the end of my senior year of high school for one month, I had to endure a major surgery and believe it  or not, I triumphed from my experience.   Developing Crohn's disease caused me to reevaluate my strengths and weakness. I had to change my diet and had to overcome the concept of injecting myself with the drug Humira.  This made me a  stronger person and now Crohn's was something besides my RA that defines me.   “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” ― George R.R. Martin. Safeguarding of your identity is essential, since this is the one thing that no one can ever take away from you.

I am who I am and this mindset has been so crucial to my own personal happiness. I felt at times so many different people were telling me who I was and how I was supposed to feel, it was imperative for my own sanity that I maintained some element of my own identity. Having Crohn's disease and RA has defined me and this is something  no one will ever change.  Just like the way Gloria felt in the "Tame the Wild Tongue" she embraced the Chicano Spanish language and did not conform to society. Gloria Anzaldua believed in a individuality and her language relates to her cultural heritage which defined her. "Identity was partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you make in life. ” Patricia Briggs. Identity is important because it helps us to know who we are and what we stand for in a given situation or society.