This is a difficult subject and there are many ways to approach it. Sometimes it feels like we have to list where we are from, our accomplishments, our family or pets, etc. It is a description of who we are and what we consider important. It is also perceived by the reader as a way to understand where you come from and know a little more about you. I do not connect with the same reasons to write an “about me” page as other people, but I will try my best.
Born in Texas, raised in Mexico for my formative childhood and in Canada for my teenage years has been tough to identify who I am. Everywhere I went I was made to feel like “you are not from here” and always get the awful question “Where are you from? But no… REALLY? where? Because you are not from here…”. They make it clear that whatever impression they have made in their head “about me” it’s the correct one and until I don’t tell them the answer they seek (which is generally “I’m Mexican”, the most incorrect answer) they are not satisfied. I have decided to reside in Prince George British Columbia, for the most part, it is the selfish reason that it is small enough most of the people around here already know me and I do not have to explain, and the other is my partner of fourteen years has a job here. I have never felt like I have roots anywhere, until I started to see the value of community in the people of PG and how close we have all grown, for better or worse. It is hard to stay in such a small town when everyone will have an opinion of you about anything you might have done. But it is important to remain kind to them and yourself and realize their opinion of you has much to do with their perception and experiences with you and not about who and where you are at the moment.
With that being said, the need to succeed and do better has always been the focus. However, there has always been a lack of connection in permanence because of my life experience. Now that I am older, I see the value of that permanence, but I will use my mistakes and experiences to become one whole person. We need to learn from our experiences and not let them define us but become better than we were before.
The picture above is by the Fraser River in Lillooet, B.C., an area known as Texas Creek.
I remember the first time I had a good educator. They made me feel comfortable and that I could do anything. She recently contacted me on Facebook and shared class pictures with me that I thought were lost forever. She had such beautiful memories to share about how we were so young but she still learnt from us. We all become the lessons we learnt from the past but at the same time, we also leave some behind. Every person has an opportunity to teach, learn, and learn from what they teach. If we stop learning, we stop growing!
I am excited to begin my second degree as a Secondary Years Education Program Undergraduate! This picture was taken the first day I started my educational journey. Wearing the wooden nametag almost felt like a small “beginners medal”. I hope to get my final one soon enough!