iExamen 1

John Jacob

EN 101.17

iExamen 1

09/26/2013

Be who you are

            As I woke up today (09/25/2013), I was feeling rushed and groggy. I went through my regular morning routine, and the first person I saw was my roommate Stephen, and the first thing I did was say “Hi Stephen,” but I was still bumming around in my boxers just got out o a cold shower. Again, I was rushing and it was just a pass by “Hi” didn’t really ask him how he slept or how he was like I usually do.

            I finally I got dressed in business casual attire and started strutting my way towards CCSJ. It’s funny to me because whenever I dress formally, I feel professional. I walk with good posture and when I see people I know I will give them a nod, or a “good morning,” something formal. Also, I walk like I have somewhere to be. I had one hand in my pocket, and one swinging, while walking at fast pace. I have always thought that doing that meant something deeper, like I am conserved and calm, but I am confident and busy at the same time. As I walk through the doors of CCSJ I was turning on my professional behavior. I introduced myself to the desk assistant, took my seat and waited to be transported to the hospital. I sat in the chair with my right over left leg, hands wrapped around the kneecap hoping to show that I mean business.

            I like to consider myself a chivalrous gentleman. I have learned to hold doors for the ladies, and always let them go before me. Having a girlfriend, whenever we are on the sidewalk, or cross walk, I am always curbside. I noticed that numerously. One thing that I don’t like about it is when people don’t notice, or say thank you. As much as it has bothered me, I have learned to continue to be chivalrous anyways.

            There were two times I experimented with something today. The first experiment was to see how many people I could communicate with without looking at my phone, and the second was to listen to music and still try to give a hello. The first experiment made me smile a lot. I don’t want to sound cocky, but I have been told that I am like the “mayor” around here and that there are always 15 people around me and people saying hi. During the first walk I got so many hellos, communication with eye contact and smiles. That was wonderful. I noticed that I awkwardly lift up my hand real fast at times and bring it back down even faster, or I will point to the person and say “what’s up bud,” or “hey big guy, how are you?” However, I usually address the person by their name because I am working on trying to remember my peers names more. The second experiment was boring. People saw me with my earphones in, and just looked away. It was different because I had to say hello and smile at them, but it was also funny because I always had to guess the right volume to say it.

            I chose the one-hour without technology from 3:15 to 4:15. I was much more efficient with getting homework done. It was incredible. I was flying through my readings, and only focusing on one thing at a time. I washed the dishes, and even cleaned my room a little bit. I also got to teach myself a new song on the guitar. Then, I got out of my room and immediately pulled my phone out. Doing this reminded me of the time I decided to drive back home from a friend’s house alone, at night, without music. I was in complete solitude, and peace. I was alone with my thoughts, and it was great because I actually had time to evaluate my life and find out if I am doing what I really want to do. I think it’s important to have alone time, because it’s the quickest way to relaxation and peace.

            My favorite part of the day is sometimes the last part of my day. Being with my roommates is anything but boring. Not only do I get to be myself, but I also know that they will still love me. Today, I began to wonder how they are friends with me. I mess with them so much, and I just become the silliest person around them. We start shouting and just become a very obnoxious group. It’s always a struggle getting our homework done, because we love hanging out and telling each other stories. I have begun to realize that I learn something new about them everyday, and it makes our friendships stronger. Carl, my direct roommate, and I started talking and we realized how similar we both are. We both realized that we go to class at the same time, and somehow always dress very similar. I have come to realize that these guys are some of my closest friends and I cannot wait to see what is in store for us in the future.

            I really enjoyed doing this iExamen. It was eye opening and made me think about what I really look forward to in my day-to-day life. There are some personal things that I notice, and am not comfortable sharing, but I am working on it. For now I am just taking everything as it comes, just as it did today, and enjoying every minute of it. The one thing that I was told today that I will never forget was to stay wonderful, and never change who you are.