Who am I and Who are my People?

Roots (deepest held values):
- Outgoing
- Adventurous
- Very active
- Scheduled
- Spiritual, have a strong faith
- Carefree
- Believe everyone is important
- Believe in justice and equality

Trunk (actions/how you express yourself):
- Play a lot of sports-Soccer, Basketball, and Ultimate Frisbee
- Enjoy the outdoors: camping, fishing, and horseback riding
- Love to bake
- Enjoy volunteering and doing community service
- Go to church, Ignite, Bible study
- Love to Laugh and Smile
- Do spontaneous things
- Travel
- Spend time with family and friends
- Relax

Branches (Social labels other people give you):
- Woman
- Caucasian
- Teenager
- 19 years old
- College student
- Athlete
- Christian
- Brown Hair
- Brown Eyes
- 5’8’’
- Tingelstad resident
- U.S. Citizen

I believe that one’s values and actions and the way one expresses themselves are all connected because what we believe, our values, and what we find important obviously affect the actions we take and how we behave. “Who you are determines what you do.” I think that the social labels people have for other people are what we see on the outside. First impressions…the way we categorize and stereotype people, based on our instincts and natural ways of grouping people and things together. However, these social labels do not define who we are as people. What makes us unique and the person we are aren’t based on if we’re female or male, 19 or 45; what determines who we are as people cannot be found on these first impressions—these social labels. This is only found when we actually get to know people, learn about their own roots (core values) and branches (actions and how they express themselves).
So yes, they are somewhat related—I am labeled as an athlete because I love playing sports and being active. I am labeled a Christian because the way I express my religious beliefs. However, these labels can only connect and tell so much about a person. A lot of these social labels are based on biological aspects and geographic location. Some things that we don’t have any control over and that is why they might not be connected or in any way related to one’s core values or actions. Overall, it is like an iceberg. What we see is only 10% of the total, while the other 90% is under water, hidden and waiting to be pursued and discovered by others.

MY PEOPLE

Who are my people?
I don’t really know
To me they may be a friend, while to others a foe

Who are my people?
They come from various groups
They’ve all had their own battles, jumped through their own hoops

Who are my people?
They have different beliefs and hobbies
Some hang out on the soccer field, at church, or in T-stad lobbies

Who are my people?
They are black, white, brown, and every color in between
What we often don’t realize, is there is more to a person than what is seen

Who are my people?
They make me laugh so hard I cry
With some of them, I experience the wonderful sensation of CHAI!

Who are my people?
My family, friends, teammates, and peers
Some I just met, some I’ve known for years

Who are my people?
They support me and give comfort when I’m weak
Fun times and adventure we long to seek

Who are my people?
We live day to day and have a good time
Enjoying the beauties of life and letting it all unwind

Who are my people?
Each one teaches me something new
They’re there for a purpose, there’s a reason for what they do

Who are my people?
And why are they not yours?
We live a life so divided, separated by race, gender, borders, and shores

Who are my people?
They are your people too
Why can’t we all just be friends, instead of saying hurtful things like “I hate you”

Beneath it all we are all the same
Fighting a battle and enduring some pain
Regardless of where we come from and the labels we’re given
We’re all in this together, experiencing life and just chillin’