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To be someone different at a moment’s notice. To actually inherit the upbringing, mentality, and preferences of an individual in an instant. That would be a pretty cool ability. Imagine what you could do with something like that! Empathizing with others would be a lifestyle, not a trait. When you state that you know what someone is enduring, you really mean it. You could help someone exactly how they need to be helped… not by guessing. Of course there are those who we are already partial to. The people who we feel know everything about us, because we have so much in common with each other. Unfortunately, the bystander view of a biased society offers no reprieve from the never-ending pursuit of assimilating with our peers. We are what society says we are. It’s a simple thing to comprehend, since we can readily apply it to our lives, but it’s discouraging nonetheless.

I might be speaking for myself, but no matter what we’re brought up to believe about the innate goodness in people and listening to our conscious, if a group of friends calls me nerdy while my mom calls me normal… I’m going to side with the majority. After all, she’s my mother. She’s supposed to say good stuff. Society offers a crash course with reality. Good for those who can take it constructively. Brutal for those who can’t. (And for those who are wondering, no, no one called me nerdy. Hold your comments to yourself).

I’m not complaining about who I am. I have a great life which I intend to use to better the lives of others with my natural gifts. Yet there are still instances in which I (and most others) wishes they could be someone else. Whether it’s to impress the new girl in school (or the parents of that new girl), the desire of change is still the same. Unfortunately, the changes might not always be feasible. In my case, they’re impossible. A simple consequence of being born to my current family prevents my desired change(s) from occurring.

So am I bitter? Heck no. I’ve made a reference to our desire to be what we’re not as imperfect humans, but what’s the point? Suck it up! You’re what you are for a reason. Realize your strengths by bettering yourself and the surrounding community. Work on your weaknesses in whatever manner you deem worthy. Don’t complain about wishing you were something different, because as we’re told repeatedly when we’re growing up, “it could be a lot worse!” That statement is so true.

Hardship is a natural part of life. The fact that you wish you were someone else just shows weakness. What a convenient way of dodging the issue. Deal with it, figure a way out, and don’t make the same mistake in the future. I’ve never heard of progress being defined by the number of excuses we make in life. Rather, it’s the corrective measures we take that dictate who we really are. It’s just frustrating when you grow up seeing the success of other peers as a challenge, matching their performance, and then excelling past them… but now… for the first time… no amount of preparation or dedication will correct this flaw. My only option is wishing to be someone else.

Legal

As a third year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, my posts are intended to educate others and share my experiences from this incredible journey without violating patient privacy at all costs. These blurbs are not to serve as a replacement for recommendations provided by licensed physicians under any circumstance.