Be Yourself

            When I was eight, my family went to Disney World. Every day we alternated going to the Disney parks in order to make it to every one of them. On the very last day, we went to Epcot. Epcot is very different from the other parks; it is not packed with amusement rides and theme park games. Instead, it represents the World, and time. In the park, there is a lake, and surrounding the lake are eleven different countries from all over the World. These countries are filled with buildings and shops that resemble those found in those places and regions. When we got there, we decided that in order to get the full experience, we would buy one dessert that represented each country; a crème brûlée from France, chocolate from Germany, and flan from Mexico.

            Each of these desserts had their own unique taste and every bite left me wanting more. It wasn’t just that these desserts tasted good, because they did, it was that they were an entirely new and exciting experience for me. Each country had its own dessert; a dessert that had made its way to fame in the many years that the country had existed. It had entangled itself into the country’s history and somewhere along the way, it became a representation of the unique culture and traditions.

            Since then I have realized that it is not just countries with these distinctive and delectable desserts, it is also people. Every time I meet someone, I look for these traits and characteristics that represent them as a whole. It is automatically evident when someone has a trait that doesn’t belong to them. For instance, if I traveled to France in search of the perfect crème brûlée and spotted a Mexican flan on the menu, I would be completely baffled. My mind would be so stuck wondering why that flan was on the menu that my crème brûlée search would fade into the background and eventually be lost.

            It is important to keep the crème brûlée distinct because it is France. It represents everything about France and by replacing that crème brûlée with a dessert that belongs to something else; France is lost and is no longer represented by something distinguishable.

I believe that everyone should be themselves and strive for those delectable and distinguishing characteristics that are completely unique to that individual. Without them, they are no longer memorable, and no longer interesting. (410)