WHO AM I?

 Who Am I?

Who am I? Who am I supposed to be? What makes me, me? When I think about these kinds of questions, I don't exactly know what my answer should be. All I know is my name, my age, and where I came from. But who am I, really? That’s something I’m still figuring out.

Maybe writing it all down here is a stepping stone for me—and for my classmates—to begin searching for answers, to craft an answer to this profound question, "Who Am I?"

My name is Josele Kris Tangara Daguman. I’m 17 years old, the middle child, and the daughter of Joseph and Elena. My name is a combination of theirs. I grew up in Barangay Del Pilar, living a simple life under the care of my grandparents.

I’m an INFP. My zodiac sign? Libra. I’m a mixture of introvert and extrovert. I enjoy solitude and also like the company of other people. I have a burning desire to become a lawyer. I enjoy reading and sometimes writing. For me, reading is like inhaling, and writing is exhaling.

I love reading because I feel like there’s so much to know in our world. It’s always been my dream to know everything. And to know everything, one must read. But what I love most is reading fiction. Even though I have only one life, through reading, I get to experience hundreds. Whenever life feels heavy, I retreat to my safe haven and read. It lightens my mood, as if I've gone on vacation with a character who’s also on vacation. And even when I need a good cry, I turn to a book. When I want to be happy, I read. I read until I feel better again. Until I feel like myself again.

I love writing almost as much as I love reading because, for me, writing is a form of self-expression. I write when I’m overwhelmed by emotion, but I usually keep it to myself. Writing is my outlet when I can’t bear the weight of my feelings. When there’s no one to talk to, I find solace in a pen.

I like the colors green, orange, brown, black, and white. But I’ve never liked blue or red, for reasons I can’t quite explain. I just don’t prefer them.

Did I mention that I have a burning desire to become a lawyer? Well, I do. But before that, I wanted to be a teacher. As a child, I remember daydreaming about teaching. I had this idealistic vision of teaching everything there is to know to every little kid, which I now know is impossible. That’s why I no longer want to be a teacher—because I’m such a perfectionist and an idealist. I truly believed I could learn everything and teach everything. However, when I realized that the biggest regret a teacher can have is not being able to teach it all, the disappointment hit me like a bullet.

So, I returned to what my grandfather wanted me to be—a lawyer. And when I learned what a lawyer is, I suddenly became interested. I wanted to be a lawyer. I crave rules and law, justice and fairness.

As I continue to reflect on the question, "Who am I?" I realize that I’m still a work in progress, shaped by my experiences, dreams, and the people who have influenced me. I may not have all the answers yet, but I’m learning more about myself each day. I’m someone who loves to learn, who finds solace in books, and who aspires to fight for justice. And perhaps, in this journey of self-discovery, the most important thing is not who I am right now, but who I’m becoming.