Last week I watched The Breakfast Club. In the beginning principal Vernon asks the gang to write an essay about who they think they are. Naturally the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess and the criminal start liking each other when they spend the whole day together. I think that's something we all should do, i.e. actually get to know people before we judge them.
Now I'm going to tell you who I am or who I think I am. In the most conventional terms I'm a girl, a daughter, a student, a friend, an Icelander and a film enthusiastic (or that's at least what my twitter info says). To simplify I would be a brain. Or that's what the kids in my high school thought since I was nominated as the school's teacher's pet. Sadly I didn't win, I'm still trying to recover from that lost. I "was" the teacher's pet because I actually studied and did well in school, crazy I know.
When I first moved to Manchester I was the Icelandic girl. I was the first Icelander many people met so I was exciting and even exotic. One girl asked me if us Icelanders bathed in the geysers. I said of course we do and that's the reason why there are only about 320,000 of us. Once when MSN was in fashion I was asked if I lived in an igloo. I replied by saying that I did indeed live in an igloo with an internet connection.
The University of Manchester has given me so much. I've met amazing people from all around the world, like little Biebster would sing it, and also learned about riveting cultures. I mean can you believe that Canadians don't have pet beavers? And I even met an English lad that doesn't drink alcohol. Now that's something. I live in halls and it's safe to say that I've gained a family from that. We on the second floor, and two people on the first floor that wish they were on our floor, always go to breakfast and dinner together which is really nice. We're like a family since we always come together to eat and talk about our day. I'm very thankful for having a family away from home.
When I moved into my little room I thought it needed a girl's touch. So of course I decorated the walls with posters, family pictures and inspirational sayings. In order to hang up a poster I had to buy one. So I bought a world map of stereotypes. I bought it because I thought it was hilarious. On the world map of stereotypes you'll find the typical stereotypes for every country. Do you know what Iceland got? We got Björk. When it comes down to it who doesn't love the good old stereotypes? I mean all Spaniards are lazy, like sangria and watch bullfighting all the time just like the French only eat baguettes and drink red wine. Right?
I've always been really independent much to my mother's dismay. When I belonged to the term girlfriend I moved away from home at 16 and lived with my (ex) boyfriend. That was interesting and I did learn a lot from that. As a single lady I've learned so much about myself. Being single has given me time to think and wonder and actually get to know myself, which I think is extremely important. Who can really know you if you don't know yourself? I've also played other roles. I worked at a kindergarten for nine months and I've been working part time at a home for the elderly for the last five years. That experience has taught me respect for others no matter how old they are.
The best lesson I've learned in life is that we choose how our live is. It's your life so live it accordingly. Personally I embrace the fact the people are different. Like Dr. Seuss puts it:
You are you. Now isn't that pleasant?
So be who you are even if that means that other people might label you under a certain stereotype. What I trying to say with my rambling is that there's more than meets the eye. I know from a reliable source (myself) that there are actually girls out there that like video games (FIFA) and they don't play them to impress guys. There are also good looking and genuinely nice guys out there who aren't gay (girls, stop complaining). If you do not believe me then stalk Ryan Guzman on twitter.
Let's go back to the beginning. Who exactly am I? In the most conventional terms I'm a girl, a daughter, a student, a friend, an Icelander and a film enthusiastic. To simplify I would be a brain. But life's never simple and the same can be said about us humans. I'm not a girl not yet a womanlike Britney said so brilliantly. Hence I am a female on this journey called life. Hopefully you decide to join me. If you do we might even learn not to judge a book by its cover but it might also just be wishful thinking.