Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Try to guess.

Hobbies: Reading other stories, gaming, walking, naps.

Age: 21

Residence: DMV

If I did not have a name, what would I be called? What sort of Alias would I have? Will the world remember me? What impact would my life have on the world? Can I make a difference? These are the questions I ask about my life.

My name denotes one who is just, compassionate, strong, powerful and with much wealth. I am the oldest of 3 brothers who lived. I would’ve had an older brother named Malachi, if he wasn’t stillborn. I should be called “Adam” because I was the first born of my two younger brothers, but what I have done to deserve a name?

I’ve yet to do anything magnificent that will make people remember my name.

I don’t have the power to help bring justice to the poor, let manna rain from heaven to avert hunger neither do I have the wealth to keep them safe.

I’m only human with the ability to hate and be selfish. I hate it when my friends do things that they know will destroy them, I dislike people who treat their husbands, wives, or children as if they were nothing but objects. I won’t forgive anyone who disrespects me, my friends, or my family because it would go against everything I believe in. I don’t see myself as a perfect soul, far from it actually. I am flawed simply because I am human. I have addictions, I have desires, I get a good laugh at seeing someone mean getting hurt every once in a while.

Call it cruel, call it “schadenfreude”, it comes with being human.

We humans, we're not perfect, we’re greedy, selfish, and ambitious. Some of us humans see our birth as a mistake we may take our entire life to correct, some of us humans correct the mistake way too quickly with a blade on the wrist, a gun to the temple, or even a dirty needle, but some of us humans can become the champions of the life we are given and make it benefit other people in fulfillment of our own lives. I may never grow to understand some of the things in my life, but why put down the pen when the story’s just beginning?

I was born on Christmas Eve at 5:43 p.m. and weighed 5lbs 2oz. That is when I was born and began my journey to discover my own significance in this world. From what my parents told me, I was able to both speak and crawl at 6 months, then I learned to walk at 11 months and read at 14 months. Then, something unexpected happen. I stopped communicating and speaking by 16-18 months. I was told that I had a speech problem when I was growing up which was diagnosed later amid several other developmental delays.

When I was 2 years and 9 months, I began my journey into the realm of knowledge. When I was 4, I began Pre-Kindergarten and stayed there until 5th grade promotion. In 2008, I started Middle School. I was an honors student for two years, and I did morning announcements. I was quite popular considering I was enthusiastic whenever I was on the air. The principal himself came out of his office to see me! The first two years of Middle School were definitely the better parts of my life.

In the fall of 2010, I entered High School. I began as a regular student going through my classes and dealing with the drastic change from Middle School. Then I joined the swim team. I don’t remember what I did that made me so popular. Maybe it was running and diving into the pool at practice every day while my teammates were still getting into their swimsuits? How about my jumping the railings when I was in a hurry to get to my classes with the adrenaline pumping through my legs, feeling like my world could come to an end if I didn’t make it in time? It could possibly have been the rap battles I had with an old friend of mine. She was a goal I wanted to reach, but someone else succeeded and then, she was no longer available to pursue.

Either way, my sophomore year was much worse than my freshman year, but since I love you guys enough to trust you, I’ll tell you.

I found out that some of my friends were smokers and I was emotionally distraught, kicking the lockers and screaming and all. My grades were horrid, not a single “A” in even my best classes. I also got into my first fight…which I lost. At least, I feel like I did; there was no clear winner. It was during my sophomore year that I began to grasp just how cruel this world can be and how untrustworthy those whom I consider friends can be.

During the summer of my sophomore year, I did some soul searching and asked myself how I could make a positive impact with my time instead of chasing after ideals that may not yield anything meaningful in my life. In the summer, I traveled with my church youth group for a week to Clendenin, West Virginia. This was my first work camp and it turned out to be one of the best things I could’ve been part of. We met so many people from all over the U.S. and realized that where we actually have it better than most of the people in our community, county, state and nation as a whole. When we arrived, we were assigned different tasks. I was assigned to help dismantle a patio and replace it with a ramp, mix concrete, dig holes, and screw in nails for the ramp. It was most fulfilling to know I can offer a hand to help those less fortunate. I had a good feeling about helping the elderly and the poor. That summer, I also volunteered at the church day camp for another week filling bags of food for the homeless and for shelter animals looking for people to adopt them into a home. We also went door-to-door to sell donation bags to help raise funds. Since then, I’ve always volunteered during the summer to help the poor, the disabled and the elderly in my local community as well as travelling Harborcreek, Pennsylvania (summer 2013) and Pocahontas, Virginia (2014). I realized how much joy and fulfillment it brought into my life and provided a way for me to help others in need.

This provided a good “running board” for my junior year and it was where my creative side really shone bright. I joined the newspaper club “Mainstream” and had my own sports column alongside a few of my seniors. I also read Shakespeare really well. Whenever I read “Hamlet” or “Macbeth”, I could spot the important lines so quickly, I even beat my teacher to it once. From that point on, my class called me “Shakespeare” and created a verb out of my last name. I entertained my classmates so well that they asked me to try out for the musical.

I joined the football team in my senior year and let me tell you, we DOMINATED. We won back to back shutouts at home, we had a new field, and we went straight to the top…then we lost to the eventual state champions. Afterwards, I sort of went through the motions of losing and then it was time to make a decision on colleges, here I am, in WAC.

I went to college to study and hopefully make the Dean’s List every semester. Now, my fourth year of life of WAC is about to begin and I am still hard pressed to achieve that goal but it will continue to be on my goal post for all the years I’m in school and strive to make the list next semester. I joined the Rugby team. The Rugby team performed magnificently in the fall season and we’re going look to keep it going in the spring season.

Now here is my message to you. What stands before you now no longer a Middle School honors student, a rail jumper in a rush, a fist fighter or the reincarnation of Shakespeare. What you see before you is a human who certainly doesn’t have the power to move mountains, to protect the poor, or part the Red Sea but will give off himself to help the needy, elderly and the disabled in our society.

This is what life is all about; being aware of your flaws and refusing to let them prevent you from doing good things for society at-large. Using the abilities you are endowed with and making the best out of them to help other people in fulfillment of your own dreams. There were several obstacles brought on by developmental delays, social hiccups but there is a chapter in everyone’s life that may start out unpleasant, but can be transformed into one of the most beautiful stories anyone has ever seen.

At 21 years, I can say that despite some disappointments and my selfish ways, I’m well on my way to achieve some of the expectations bestowed on me as "one who is like God" by helping the poor and elderly and one who shares the little I have with the world around them. This is just the beginning because we have a lifetime to achieve the purpose of our lives, one day at a time.

Don’t spend trying to correct the mistake that was your birth. Instead, spend your life celebrating the mistake that was your birth.

So far, so good.

Anti-Bullying Message

The girl you just called fat? She is overdosing on diet pills. The girl you just called ugly? She spends hours putting makeup on hoping people will like her. The boy you just tripped? He is abused enough at home. See that man with the ugly scars? He fought for his country. That guy you just made fun of for crying? His mother is dying. Put this on your profile if you're against bullying. I bet 95% of you won't put this on your profile, but I'm sure the people with a heart and backbone will. Which percentage are you? 5% or 95%?

The following story is dormant; trying to map out a correct plotline.

Spectrum