who you are

Maybe I’m just weird, but I love driving.

One of the reasons is because I love thinking about all the different people driving past me. In those few seconds, I get to peek into their car: peek into their world. Each one is so different. Each one has a beautiful story, a beautiful atmosphere.

Some have bumper stickers all over or plants hanging from the rearview mirror. They sit with one leg propped up on the seat, wearing their hair up in curly, half-up buns and t-shirts made from recycled material.

Some have cars clean as a whistle and drink green tea on their way to work, wearing wrinkle-less white blouses.

The beauty of humans is our uniqueness.

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I love choosing a symbol for each magazine, and I thought a mirror would be perfect for our Identity issue back in spring of 2019.

Every time I walk past a mirror, I’m reminded of the whole idea of identity.

Who are you?

Maybe you’d start with your name. Your age. Your year in school.

I am Amanda. I’m 20. I’m a Senior in college (some people would think in high school)

Then you’d move on to what you like to do. Perhaps it’s Netflix, drink coffee, read.

Maybe it’s stargaze. Collect stamps. Make candles.

What would you say if you had only one adjective? Creative.

One noun? Visionary.

Thirty words?

Sixty?

What kind of a flower?

Animal?

What movie?

The truth is: You aren’t just a name or a hair color or a weight.

You’re your favorite hole-in-the-wall pancake place. The things you do when no one’s watching. The bands you listen to that no one’s heard of.

When I asked friends to give me a unique fact, lots of them cried out that they don’t have one. But you do, I protested.

So . . . who are you? What makes you different from everyone else? What makes you the same?

Where is your identity?