I was born in September of 2000, but I should have been born in the early 1800s. The idea of being misplaced at birth is quite strange, yet I truly believe that my perspective would have been better suited for the Age of Reason. When I was young, I read the children’s version of the classics, when Pride and Prejudice became my favorite. As I grew older, I fell in love with Bronte’s  Wuthering Heights. The Humanities fascinated me, and after learning about the Renaissance and Enlightenment, these eras seemed my perfect fit.

My mom and I watch movies set in the 16th to 19th centuries, admiring the romance. I was entranced by the eloquence of their speech, and admired the letters written in feather quill pens, reflecting the authors face in their handwriting. I also yearned for the belonging their social conventions provided. But, my naive romantic ideals were based on fairytales about the elite in society. In reality, for most, it was a time of oppression, poverty, and gender inequality. 

As I learned more about history, I started learning about the stories of real men and women that lived during this time. It exposed me to the breaking of social boundaries in the realm of science by Galileo and political/social philosophy of John Locke, inspiring me to be a passionate revolutionary for my time. I am invigorated by the courage of their individualism, admire breaks from tradition, and am inspired by the idea of challenging social norms in the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Jane Austin herself, and the Bronte sisters, broke social conventions by writing the stories I love so much, and illustrating the constraints of social norms. 

Now, how can I, a young woman in the 21st century, apply all the negatives and positives of culture from the past to create a future that embraces free thought, promotes individuality, but is driven by passion? Though we are taught history to not repeat the same mistakes, we can use it to learn the culture and values of people who broke through social norms. By using their own authentic lives and following their singular passion, people of the past discovered our present. Annie Dillard, in her essay Living Like Wiesel, said “the perfect freedom of a single necessity.” Once we find that singular passion, the path becomes clear. My own singular passion lies within the realm of sound. I believe in being heard and understood, instead of being suppressed by superiors of the world. I believe that this right of being heard and understood, and to hear and understand, is for all people without the backlash of stereotypes or bias. This is only the beginning of my passion that people of the past inspired me to search for. I crave to be a leader of my own movement and evoke change throughout society, so that people can look at my life to question a social constraint within their own lives. I am excited for the future and I know my journey through life and the people I encounter, will help me find the values I hope to base my future on.