“Shadow is the obstruction of light. Shadows appear to me to be of supreme importance in perspective, because, without them opaque and solid bodies will be ill defined; that which is contained within their outlines and their boundaries themselves will be ill-understood unless they  are shown against a background of a different tone from themselves.”
         Leonardo da Vinci

What does it mean to be defined? To state or describe exactly the nature, scope, or meaning of an object.
Tell me; are you defined by what you can, or what you can’t do? Defined, what a word that is. If I had a choice, which I am pretty sure I do not, I would choose to be defined by neither. Why? Life is too short to be categorized, to be read as a cover of a book with no chapters. When will people turn the page?

Don’t even try to answer that question, its rhetorical; asked to make a point, rather than to trigger an answer. I know what you’re wondering, why am I telling you what almost every single word means? I am defining. Pointless, isn’t it? Takes up amounts of time we could be using more effectively. Titles of what you look like, dress like, act as, but not one single one of who you are. Stuck in a labyrinth that you can never escape. Day after day. you try to turn one more corner to realize you’ve walked straight into a glass wall.

Its happened throughout everyones life. They are called a ‘nerd’ because they want to read a book, a ‘geek’ because they are interested in the arts, like band or choir.  My favorite; which I’ve been called before,  a ‘teachers pet.’ In all honesty, am I really a teachers pet? Or do they just favor me more over others, because I actually listen to what they say? Surprisingly sometimes, I do actually agree.

I believe it to be immensely ridiculous, that they do not pick favorites. I believe every teacher has one or more favorite student(s), and I do believe I could be one. I don’t want to be a favorite student, or ironically, a ‘teachers pet.’ It may seem absurd to you as what I am going to say now, but quite frankly, I find it offensive. They are labeling us, giving us a definition, but only in their book, by their terms.

Like right now, as I sit thinking; many people come up to me to help them fix their papers, redirect them on the path they’ve chosen; to help with commas, fragments, prepositions, and proper nouns. I do like to help them as much as I can, but I presume they only ask me because they have doubts in themselves, they don’t truly believe they can fix their own mistakes.

I do, but then I also don’t. I can acknowledge that I am good at certain things, and am a quick learner to try and fix my mistakes, but then again, I can acknowledge that there are people far beyond me that are much more extravagant in that subject, and may catch on quicker than I will. But the thing is, I do not give up because I know someone is greater than me, I strive towards my own goals, and to meet the standards of my grade, as I still try to reach their level as well.

Standards; a level of quality or attainment that someone is expected to either meet, or exceed. Its pretty much just someone elses requirements of who you are. But how do we meet those requirements, when we don’t even know what they are? The only ones who do know are the people who made them...and for all we know, it could’ve been you.

If you could define yourself in five words, what would you say? Would you feel the same as when someone else defines you?  Its like a sea of infinite questions when it comes to how someone like me, or you,  feels about it. You obviously now know how I feel, and please believe me when I say; definitions are only as real as you let them be. Be yourself, and when you have faults? Never be afraid to abandon them. Even if no one else does, just remember that I believe in you.