The Puzzle

    Reading “The Three Girls” last week made me realize how much influence we let society have over our lives. We bind ourselves to social norms and stereotypes, obsessed with the thought of fitting in, forcing ourselves into a box labeled as “acceptable.”

    And it is with such restraint and confinement, that the graphs of our lives result in a stagnant slope or end up plummeting in a downward curve—all because we fail to explore our true selves.

    This idea of discovering one’s true self was also present in my book club novel: “Interior Chinatown.” Just as Marilyn Monroe helps the girls realize the beauty behind authenticity and genuineness, Willis Wu comes to develop a similar understanding of exploring who he truly is. Not who society thinks he should be.

    I think that our teenage/young adulthood years are set aside for such self-exploration and discovery. It’s a time where we develop a deeper understanding of the real world, having glimpses of what it’s really like beyond the cocoon of our parent’s homes. It’s also a time where we are most swayed by expectation and judgment. Like many others, I can admit that I’ve fallen victim to certain stereotypes and standards, forcing myself to fit in. Inevitably, there’s a clash between this period meant for exploration and the teenager’s mindset that is built off of what others think about them.

    Even as an adult, I still feel as if I’m finding out who I truly am. Age has given me nothing but wrinkles. For every answer seems to erupt a plethora of questions. But such is the beauty of life. With every year that passes, humans seem to discover an additional piece of themselves. They may lack all the pieces to the puzzle presently. They may even never finish the big puzzle piece. But in finding their authentic true selves, it allows for them to create a graph of their lives, with its peak beyond their imaginations.

Fun Fact: Marilyn Monroe was an avid reader in real life. This wasn’t just something made up in the short story.