What a Name Tag Can Tell You

Photo from Flickr.com. Uploaded by Martin Pettitt

Last year, I participated in an event put on by TedX that was coming to the University of Denver and bringing inspirational leaders to give talks that encouraged collaboration and community. In order to register, I had to list three of my interests. Absent-mindedly, without any burning interests to put down, I wrote peanut butter, giraffes, and traveling.

Upon arriving to the event, I realized that these three interests appeared on my nametag for everyone in attendance to see. After reading other nametags, I found that I had missed the mark, by a long shot.  These nametags introduced my peers as interested in ending world hunger, supporting education, ending poverty, promoting economic equality and so on. Oops. I instantly realized that anyone who saw my nametag would assume that I was heartless, naïve, and uninspired. This was not how I wanted to present myself to my worldly peers and the TedX inspirational leaders.

My first instinct was to hide it under my jacket; however, someone swooped in before I had the opportunity. Apparently an interest in peanut butter is not very unique. Peanut butter was invented by the Aztecs, a culture I find fascinating, which instantly sparked conversation among those I interacted with. Giraffes are tall, slightly awkward, and herbivores, just like me! Traveling puts me in contact with diverse people and cultures. I feel more at home when I travel because I realize that an innate trait in humanity is rareness. It turns out my three interests told more about me than I had originally given them credit for.

When I first arrived at college, I thought that I had myself figured out. That lasted about two days, when my parents abandoned me in my dorm. I was taken from a small, sheltered, Catholic high school and plopped onto a large college far from home. I could no longer define myself in the staunch frame that I had been given by my peers growing up. No one here knew me and there were no expectations or interests to hide behind. College made me realize how fragile it can feel to try and invent yourself, especially when you originally had it all figured out. However, it has also allowed me to become myself because I’ve realized that my character is limitless. Defining myself has taken time, work, and mistakes, but I am slowly stumbling upon my identity. I like peanut butter and giraffes and traveling. It’s not the end, but it’s a pretty good start.

If you ever are feeling like you need to define yourself in college, stick to what you know, what your roots are, and your interests. It may seem weird at first, but you’ll probably find someone else who likes Peanut Butter, Giraffes, and traveling just as much as you do. Be yourself and don’t judge a person by their name tag.