Monologue

by Marcus Cooper

M-A-R-C-U-S: a scholar, an athlete, a brother, a son, a friend, a best friend, an employee and, often time, the acceptable “black guy that acts white.” i can be defined in many different ways and, as i grow older, i realize that these definitions are like astronomical arrangements; always changing, always unique, always significant. like everyone else i have my likes and dislikes about myself. i love my incurable optimism, my honesty, my humility, my sense of humor. those close to me know I’m the goofiest and weirdest person ever. ill never forget the time a 70-year-old woman punched me in the face for hiding her Oprah magazine in the ceiling vent for 3 days. she was wonderful. the thing is, i just love to laugh. and i surround myself with people who feel the same. i must admit, though, i have many characteristics that i dislike about myself more than i like. of the bigger ones, i hate that im always seeking approval. in high-school i sought it from my friends, but today its usually an internal struggle with myself. i do try, though, to look beyond that and celebrate every day I’m alive. I live by two quotes: “I’d rather have a mind opened by wonder than closed by belief;” and, of course, “Carpe Diem.” The fact is there are no dress rehearsals for life. the world may seem cruel and unforgiving, but its up to every individual to make the most of it. i call this life a happy fault, or, in the words of our Latin predecessors, “Felix Culpa.” i have no concrete plan for my future. i have some goals, but chances are i will rely on faith and hard work to determine where i end up. wherever that may be, i promise to be all there.