by KARA ALLEN, CSU Public Relations Assistant
I wrote this piece in an attempt to recognize who I am and to remind myself of who we are. Times like these are full of doubt and wondering if who you are and what you stand for is worth it; so it’s times like these that we must be diligent in reminding ourselves of who we are.
Who am I? I feel a wash of betrayal spill down my spine as I stare into my own puffy eyes. Why is it that we look in a mirror after a breakdown? Is it so we can see that we’re hurting? Is it an attempt to recognize the person we forgot we were? Or maybe, we’re trying to pretend we’re not alone. We found a culture in shared fashion and media, purposed to make others laugh With it, we found worthlessness in our own bodies and minds, propagated by people behind keyboards. My high school teacher noticed a generation of feminists and activists arising and praised us for it But told me that I must come home from my career to make my husband a meal; because that is my duty. The man in line who says his racist slur was just a joke The female cashier who mumbled “slut” under her breath as she rang up my total. My grandfather told me I need to be making more money; to work harder. The same man from the same generation that told me I wouldn’t be worth a dime without a college education. The young adults that are cussed at on the street as they protest for change Accosted by the very same people who told them that life isn’t fair. So when the bullies of middle school who made fun of my jeans turned into the generation that was supposed to raise me but instead calls me weak and what’s wrong with America, I find myself asking, “Who am I?” and “Why am I not what they wanted me to be?” Instead, with my arm around your shoulder in the generation of change I ask you “Who are we?”
Kara Allen is a CSU Public Relations Assistant and is currently a Senior studying Communications at Minnesota State Mankato. Kara is from Grand Rapids, MN and has grown up loving to write in her free time; finding the hidden idiosyncrasies within herself through the writing. She plans on pursuing a career in Public Relations for the U.S. Army and continuing on with writing for enjoyment.
