“Which one of us would be most likely to have a teen pregnancy?” I stayed quiet. I knew what was about to be said, “I think It would be you”. It's become unavoidable to embody what others expect from me. Those who I've spent my life so close to somehow don’t know who I am at all. I haven't dated all of high school but somehow that is the light I'm seen in. One side of the room looks at me as the stupid irresponsible kid, while the other sees me as this innocent scholar. I have always felt such pressure to define myself in that room where I am judged. Why should I have to define myself by the standards someone else sees only on the surface? I’m the youngest of my siblings, the little girl in a house full of older brothers. After a while of growing up with that, you get used to joking around with each other playfully. So it caught me by surprise to be insulted, and not notice it at all. Throughout high school people would always call me ginger and chuckle away. It never bothered me much, I mean my hair was strawberry blonde, but I never saw myself as ginger. Going into my senior year of high school, I dyed my hair to a strong copper color. Since everyone called me ginger, I thought I should embrace it. Who could have guessed that the moment I walked into the school I would be bombarded with people in shock. The most common phrase being “I didn’t think you liked your ginger hair”. As a freshman in high school, I didn't want to go to college. I thought it was important to spend my life doing something I enjoyed, because otherwise what was the point in living. Even though I was so set on not going to college, I still did my school work. As a young woman, it is common to be underestimated and looked down on, but I hated it. So I’d put my foot down and tell the world that this is what I want. It would never change the way people told me who I am, but it did teach me a valuable lesson. My stubborn need to prove myself to others was only trapping myself in a box. If I changed my mind I felt like I was doing what everyone expected of me, but in the process I wasn't allowing myself to change and grow. Suddenly it didn't matter anymore, and I could see so much clearer who I am and what I needed to do for myself. I have always admired those who express themselves so freely. It makes me hopeful of a life where I will do whatever I want regardless of what others think. Culture is such a large part of people's identity. It is one of the most important forms of expression because it not only brings passion, but community from its beauty. They know who they are, it has been written in stone for centuries, yet they never stop finding themselves. How beautiful it is to be a part of a community that allows you the freedom to express yourself. Regardless of the names you could be called, there is always someone who understands your story, even if they have not lived the same. That is my goal, to be one of the people who wants to hear your story, and see your life through your own eyes.