Barbara+M’s+OpEd+Article

Humbleness. Humility. media type="file" key="barbaram-muckraker-0910.mp3"

A trait that I strive for daily and think about as I lay in bed is the ability to be humble. I, at times, do make statements or seem to give off the impression that I am too proud or even arrogant. I am "little miss perfect" or even "superwoman". Trust me in no way would I mind being one of those and I do take it as a compliment when i am addressed in that manner, but I am no better then anyone else. I do not like to compare myself to others nor have others be compared to me, even though, yes it happens every now and then in my mind "Oh man look at that...I am nothing like that..." I do try to have my feet grounded on the Earth. I believe I am no better than anyone else. I am me that is all that it is. When I have stated that to an individual who is talking about my accomplishments and praising me to an extent their mouth just drops to the ground. I am not trying to be rude in the slightest sense. I had my cardiologist appointment on March 29 2010. It was this Monday that just passed. It was the first time I met Dr.Frederic Leong. He walked into my examination room and read my file. He was talking as he was doing so like to any other patient "Hello my name is....and I hear you... so today we will be checking.... I just have some questions to ask you. Have you ever been hospitalized and why" When a doctor asks me that question I try to answer really quickly hoping that they get the signal that I just want to move on from the subject but that never is the case... I answered "Yes, I was a bone marrow donor to my brother". Wide eyes always come next with the question "When?" followed by "Is he okay now?" I answer "When I was barely turning six and yes he is. He is 20 years old and in college". Very few people do this but trust me if I at least got a dollar every time I heard this speech I would have enough to pay for my first year of college tuition and maybe even more. Wide eyed and mouth struggling to not stay on the floor due to the amazement Dr. Leong starts telling me how I should write a book about my life because he is impressed beyond belief by me as well as if I write this to any college or scholarship foundation I will always receive a yes. As always I am told how could someone like you who has done all of this and seems so unselfish could be denied when clearly you work hard and strive to do well in the world. I very much appreciate all these comments and encouragements. I really do actually treasure all the times I hear these words. I am blessed to be thought of that way as well as blessed to have had all these chances that have allowed me to do good things. I just never want any of this to create this "nose in the air" girl who believes and acts like she is better than anyone else. I think that is one of the worst things that could happen to anyone including myself. I feel that it ruins a heart. By now many students learn the different ways to learn. Some people are auditory, kinesthetic, or visual. I am very much a tactile (kinesthetic) learner. I learn most things by doing them, experiencing them, or even in my mind creating this fictitious mind set that seems absolutely real and placing myself in the scenario. It is how I plan the events for school. I create everything in my mind and think of everything that is needed to make things absolutely perfect. Because of the way I learn it is also the way that I create habits or take something as a valuable life lesson. Mr.Geib has very much liked to pick on me this year which is really funny! I do not mind one bit because trust me there are many things that I find are odd about myself which makes me laugh. I am not a materialistic person nor will I die if I do not have the latest w/e or know the latest w/e. I am a person that prefers to struggle so that it creates this humility within me and allows me to appreciate all the things I have that I truly need or they might be extra things in my life. Geib in no way could I say I love doing the dishes by hand, do I want to do it everyday by hand, or make it my career in life but it helps. It helps me have time to think about life. Think about the person that I want to be. Think of what I wish to do in the future and appreciate how much I have. Tease me or call me insane. Some people have and I just smile and laugh about it with them because it is quite funny that this is how I learn but I embrace it. A point in life is to be happy and have some fun no matter what is happening in the world. When I was younger I used to wash my clothes by hand as well. In my household everything is fresh, organic (usually), and made from scratch. This includes bread and pasta! The main reason my mother has made my brother and I learn how to do this is because of tradition with her father and it is a healthier choice. It has become for me another way to be humble. I like to be simple. I like Thoreu! Trust me I could absolutely go out and live by a lake for the rest of my life creating everything from scratch and isolate myself. I am very comfortable with myself and I am happy with the type of person I am because of what I am and what I strive for each day. Being humble to me shows that you are comfortable with yourself. It means that you do the right thing not because you have to but because you want to. It means that you care about others more than yourself. You obtain happiness by doing what is right and making a smile on a different person's face. I may joke around quite a bit about "ohh well I am...." and could place all my awards and titles on the shelves in my room to show off or even state them to impress someone but honestly everything is in a box under more boxes in our storage. I do not like to do that. I may joke but I do not mean it that way. I prefer to be humble. Humility is a trait that I hope to always portray. It is like having your heart in your hand so that everyone can one day feel it. You touch a person's life which leads them to have a new light to their own path in the pursuit of happiness. That is what I want to do in life. I try to have my heart in my hand so as for others to learn and see. I try to be humble so as for others to have the chance to allow me to help them.