Hey there,

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This one is about everyone else.

 

I attended an alumni meeting recently at my old school. Alumni meetings are weird events, aren’t they? A group of people you vaguely grew up with, teachers who shaped your inquisitive mind, and best friends whom you’ve somehow grown distant from.

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I met my English teacher. She had lovely handwriting; her cursive letters gracefully adorned the whiteboard in lilting sentences. And to this day, every time I pick up a pen to scribble away at the signature column, my letters mimic hers.

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My classmate had this habit of carrying backup pairs for any stationary she owned. I’ve been buying things in pairs ever since. I pronounce my letter R’s just like my French teacher does. I listen to metal music while working out because I saw a stranger at the gym do the same. My old school principal had a collection of keychains from across the world displayed in his room. And now I find myself stopping for souvenirs whenever I’m traveling.

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And until the alumni meet, it didn’t dawn upon me – I am made up of other people.

My grandmother taught me how to cut fresh fruit and my friends have shown me some of my favorite songs. There are parts of myself that I have borrowed from other people and they’re crucial to who I am.

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This newsletter is meant to be a daily detour, but today, I’d like to use it to pose a question, a question that I’d like you to reminisce upon because it’s important to understand the journey that led you to where you are.

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Who are you made up of?

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