Sherman 1 Alex Sherman Ms.

Weaver Rhetoric 101 20 November 2013 Apart From the Rest Identity: the qualities or characteristics of an entity that make an individual who they are apart from others. I always knew I was different, but I could never place my finger on the definitive answer to the question how?. Identity is a tough one for me, to be honest, it always has been. I would love to tell a story about how I was lost, but NOW Im found! I wish I could give a narrative full of revelation as to who I, Alex Sherman, am. Truth is I havent found myself yet. I am still exploring with hopes of finding home one of these days. But for the sake of the story, allow me to supply you with my background; and who knows, maybe you will find me before I do. I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, as a preachers kid. Everybody has had their experiences with a PK, as we are often called. I think PK is an accurate name, because it could also stand for Penalty Kick. Much like a penalty kick in soccer, whenever a preachers son or daughter messes up, the community is on the edge of their seats to see how he or she will respond to the prior misconduct. Yes, I was held to a higher standard, but I didnt have too much trouble abiding to the standards expected of me. We didnt live in the safest area in Jacksonville, a mere 5 minute jog from the so-called ghetto. Since our neighborhood wasnt the safest, I didnt spend much time running around the street or in the front yard. Most of my time was spent at the church with my dad. I used to listen to him preach his sermons multiple times a week. One of my mothers most cherished photographs is of me when I was three years old, sitting in the

Sherman 2 living room with my eyes as wide as could be because MY dad was preaching on the television. I had and still maintain a high level of respect for him, and the manner in which he could present a sermon so full of scripture and passion. He was always very knowledgeable of the Bible and its teachings; and coincidentally, I am now rather fluent in Bible stories and lingo. Since I grew up in a church setting, I actually thought most everyone had the same knowledge of scripture. Once I grew older and moved to Birmingham, where my family now resides, I came to realize how unique it really was for me to be literate in such a way. So as I said, we moved to Birmingham, and this time we moved into a rather wealthy community. In fact, Mountain Brook is currently ranked 9th among the 1,000 wealthiest cities in America. Dont let the numbers throw you off though, we were blessed to have lived in such an affluent community since we didnt have money to throw away like some members of the city. My mom always hammered into mine and my brothers head that we ought to be humble and appreciative of every little thing given unto us, and that nothing should be taken for granted. It was hard for me at first to adjust to the new setting, but within the first year I was settled. Throughout grade school and entering into high school, I felt somewhat disconnected from my peers. Some of the students at Mountain Brook High School had a sense of selflessness and humility, but those kinds of traits were harder to find than I had hoped. In eighth grade, my family and I began attending church at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in a nearby community called Homewood. After a couple months of getting used to the church, I began to find my niche that had been missing all those years. Dawson was and is unique in that they have two different groups among the youth. There is a youth group, and then there is a Hispanic youth group. I despised this idea at first because it was as if segregation hadnt been abolished yet. What was even weirder than the segregated youth groups was that I got along better with the Hispanic

Sherman 3 group, the less wealthy of the two. In actuality, most of the Hispanic youth spoke English, and were much like me in terms of character and humility. I began to hang out with this group more and more over my high school career, and as of today, my best friends were members of that very same group. Due to my upbringing, I was exposed to two polar opposite social classes, and therefore I have a slight understanding of both groups. I am extremely thankful for the diversity of the various social settings I have lived among, because it has helped mold my literary identity in terms of society. I like to think that no one can understand anything fully without examining both sides of the equation, which I have had the chance to do regarding social classes. Generally, when speaking of literacy, one is speaking of his or her ability to read and write. Thus far I have focused on my identity as a literate individual, so allow me to try and prove myself literate. Many of my peers, including my best friend, were thoroughly involved in the local party scene. I attended a party or two in high school, but it was never really my thing because I dont drink alcohol. Most of my time was either spent at the climbing gym or at one of the local coffee shops. OHenrys, my favorite of all the coffee shops around town, was my go-to on almost any night of the week. I would go there to do homework, to write papers, to apply for college, to write letters, to read books, to prepare Bible studies, and even to just sit and clear my head with a hot, cappuccino-filled mug between my hands. For some odd reason, I feel more intellectual and spiritual with a cup of coffee in my hand; I have never been able to successfully explain that, but it makes perfect sense in my corkscrew of a brain. It was at OHenrys that I discovered my love for reading, writing, and even poetry. I had always written off reading and writing as something that only introverted girls or old people did, to be honest. Much like how I was held to a higher standard by my parents, I also held myself to a standard above whatever I could possibly achieve. Once I let myself out of the cage I had locked myself in, I found myself

Sherman 4 enjoying and often yearning to read and write. Nowadays, whenever I am upset I will more often than not just grab a book or a journal and vent through reading and writing. Sometimes I will even get in these moods when I have to be creative, and I usually write poetry until this mental high comes to an end. I havent found a better way to express myself thus far. Everyone is different. No two people have experienced the same things in the same mindset or manner; therefore, each person has their own story from their own point of view. Furthermore, everyone has a literary identity of their own. I believe myself to be a unique literate individual, in that I have an understanding of the world around me, the Bible beside me, and the work of literature in front of me. I hope that each of you would be able to find your literary identity, while I continue to seek a full understanding of my own.