Exploration 1: Identity Map

As I created my identity map, I noticed how much I fall under the privileged part of life.  I have not had many people discriminate against me, and I have lived a life with limited hardships based on my appearance and beliefs.  The map showing me this does not surprise me and there are no new awarenesses because I have known my whole life that I am very privileged and lucky to have the life that I do.  My identity is my character but also my appearance.  My identity is how I was raised, where I was raised, how I present myself.  My identity is my beliefs.  I noticed that I am much more privileged than I am targeted, and the life and opportunities I have been given based on my identity should be a life all people live.

I look at my map and see that my family is white, my parents are married and heterosexual, and my parents have well-paying jobs.  I see that my parents can afford TV's, cars, phones, college, and more.  I see that being Lutheran is nothing that holds me down or causes me to lose any opportunities.  I was never discriminated against when applying for jobs, and I actually had two jobs in high school. My parents taught me that I am beautiful no matter what size I am, and I grew up not even thinking the people with differently colored skin around me were different than me.  I am fortunate enough to live in such an accepting household.  Social media allows people to perceive themselves however they desire to.  I am allowed to voice my opinion and show my personality on social media without seeing the reaction from others.  I show the pictures of me I want others to see, and I determine how I treat others on social media.  Social media causes people to make assumptions about me based on the way I display myself to the public.

In my Junior year of high school, I volunteered to be the water girl of the varsity football team.  This required me to go to every game and practice, and I did this to get all of my community service done in a short amount a time.  This was the first extreme experience where I felt different because I was a girl.  The football players were extremely rude.  They would make fun of me, play games to trick me, and overall thought I was below them because they were a guy on the football team.  It made me lose respect for a lot of male athletes, but it also made me feel sorry for them.  I did not feel sorry for myself because I know that everyone in this world is equal regardless of what someone else thinks.  I have also started to notice the challenges disabled people face daily because my best friend was in a traumatic car accident last October, and she suffers from many disabilities today.  Her opportunities and how people treat her is much different now. Being a twin as well makes me notice that people do not see me often as an individual.  People see us as the same person and do not think I have my own beliefs. My sister and I go to the same college, but it is nice that not everyone knows me as "a McCready twin."  When I was a Fundraising Captain for my Mini-Thon in high school, I was constantly going to businesses asking for donations.  I noticed that no one was really taking me seriously though.  I started to bring my dad with me, and all of a sudden I was successful in receiving donations.  He would not even say anything, but just his presence and them knowing an adult is supporting the situation as well, it makes people listen.  I realized in those moments how many working adults do not take teenagers seriously.

Race relates to the color of one's skin as well as one's physical characteristics.  I am known as a white and Irish girl because of my blonde hair and freckles.  I am a strong, smart, and passionate female who does not take what other people say about me personally.  Even though I am not perfect, my desired self is who I already am.  It should not matter that I am a female, Irish, Lutheran, born in America, heterosexual, etc.  I am accepting of who I am, and accepting of who everyone else is because the fact that no one is the same is the beauty of the world we live in.