I call myself a paradox. So much of my life seems contradictory and strange to both others and myself, so I constantly feel a need to explain why I am who I am. My explanations have accumulated, become a part of me, are in constant use and ongoing reflection. I am not just where I am from, I say; I am also what I come from. And who. And how. And why. I invite you, readers, to join me in my personal explanation so that you too may understand where you are truly from, however strange and disjointed your experiences may seem.
I am from Belarus
South Carolina, Ohio, and deer-filled NJ.
I am from a life-time of homeschool
Letter correspondence with friends from my half-year of “real school.”
I am from beet borscht and gluten free bread
studded with raisins and dripping fresh butter
Early morning markets and the smell of warm muffins.
I am from train tracks and creek beds
Suburbs and neighborhood cats
cricket orchestras and reading in the hammock.
I’m from snowy skies and soupy summers
6 moves and 3 countries
Moving fast and pushing on.
I’m from a paradox of too many activities
numerous almost-friends
but 2 kindred spirits and a love for nature and sleepy afternoons.
I’m from “time and place” and the “long speech”
“He is risen indeed” and “have fun storming the castle.”
I’m from a world-wide worldview,
Justice for all,
Kids can be the change,
Belief in magic and the Maker.
Packed in yet another moving box
taped with high hopes and a history of loss
is my life box–
theatre programs, baseball tickets, homemade books and a
billion unfinished journals, sheet music and poetry.
A lifetime of small accomplishments winding a twisted path into future’s veiled promises.
Anna is a freshman vocal performance student. You can see more of her work at Teen Ink. She also runs her own business which you can find here.