Only One You

Arushi Mithal, Opinion Editor

One time, in middle school, my teacher kept confusing me with another girl in our class. I was puzzled because to me we looked nothing alike. My teacher would tell her to sit back down while calling my name, and call out the other name while looking directly at me. 

The reason I was upset about this is because ever since I was young, I thought I was unique. I had a unique name, unique personality, but that day I felt like I just went by unnoticed, another person that people could easily mistake for someone else. What I didn’t realize at the time is that there are always things that make us feel upset for no reason. 

It may not seem like a big deal to others, but to my middle school self, it was easy to feel upset over such a thing. I felt like this meant that other people thought of me as average and it sent shivers down my spine. But what does being average really even mean? People strive to stand out amidst this fear of being considered ‘ordinary’. All it takes to be extraordinary is one little extra, quite literally. 

 It is easy to feel average in a world filled with greatness, but there is no way anyone can ever be even remotely like you. It is easy to feel like no one notices you, but there are countless people who admire you without you even knowing. It is easy to lose your voice in a song with many beautiful voices, but singing your own song calls the attention of others. Remember, there is only one you.