I'm at the age right now,
when parents tell you that you are having,
"Identity issues".

I have news for all of you,
I'm not.
Having.
Identity.
Issues.

It's the exact opposite.
I have found myself.
And I love myself.
It is not unhealthy to love and appreciate yourself.
It is unhealthy,
to change for someone else's benefit.
Yet, this is what most want us to do.

There is a difference between changing yourself,
to affect others in the way that you want to affect them,
versus changing yourself just because they say so.

I have found myself.
I'm sorry if you don't like it.
I'm sorry if we don't share beliefs or ideas or anything at all.

I am not sorry,
for being myself.

And I will continue to live this way.
Believing that I am,
who I am,
and quite frankly,
I am enough.

I don't need your validation.
I don't need your affirmation.
All I need,
is for you to not tell me,
that I have identity issues.

Stephen Hawking.

A man who was revered.
A man who was loved.
A man who was looked to for guidance.
All of these things, but most of all,
he showed the youth of the world,
that there is a way.
That you have the ability,
to become whatever you want.

Stephen Hawking had ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease,
for over 55 years.
He died on the same day that I am writing this.
March 14, 2018.

Ever since I was about 12 years old,
I've been more than interested in science.
This got me exposed to Stephen Hawking.

As I got older,
I started to actually understand what he was saying,
rather than just listen to,
pointless words from a pointless device.

The first subject that I could understand well,
was Hawking Radiation.

I won't get into the nitty gritty,
but it has to do with how the energy,
that a black hole absorbs is expelled.

The point in me saying this,
is not because I want you to know about science.
But because I want you to know,
how this singular man,
affected me.

No.

Affects. Me.

I watched the YouTube video that showed me Hawking radiation when I was twelve years old,
I am 16 now and know what it is,
by memory.

I'm not a genius by any means,
but Stephen Hawking,
he gave me the courage to push forward,
to be eager to learn.

You might not know this,
but in the United States,
kids all around the country,
they are discouraged to learn
due to bad grades,
due to bad teachers,
due to bad funding,
they are essentially taught this,
nothing you do will ever be enough.

Stephen Hawking?
He didn't care.

Granted he didn't go to school in the U.S.,
but he was dealing with a different battle.
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease.
This means that even though he is,
sorry,
was,
one of the smartest people on this planet,
he will be constantly bombarded by a blockade that he can't even see.

This is the same battle in a different form,
that every child in the U.S.,
is facing.

Cyber-bullying.
******-harassment.
domestic-violence.
ph­ysical-abuse.
emotional-abuse.

These are all major causes of suicide.

Stephen Hawking gave us the courage to push past our,
"disease",
to become something better.

"I never expect to see perfect work,
from an imperfect man."

This is a quote by Alexander Hamilton.
Alexander Hamilton undeniably,
one of the smartest men that's ever lived.

It is shocking how much we forget this.
Man, is not perfect.
Wait, excuse me, it's 2018.
People are not perfect.
Your teachers,
your parents,
your supervisors,
they easily forget this.

And it goes without saying that those people,
are imperfect as well.
When will we realize,
that people make mistakes?
But more importantly,
when will we figure out,
how to forgive.

Forgive me please,
if I forget to take out the trash.
Forgive me please,
if I do not do well on a test.
Forgive me please,
if I misbehave.

Forgive us please,
if we mess up.