WHAT WE TAKE FROM CHILDHOOD BY KATE HARTNER

Disheartened and confused, we all have our own method of recollecting ourselves. For me, I’ve spent years and years following a singular method. I remember my roots. Specifically, I remember a piece of advice a book from my childhood gave to me. Tattooed on my brothers’ arm, cover framed in my family room at home - Ferdinand the bull. 

Ferdinand the bull leaves its readers with the message that individual differences should be encouraged. Each individual should have pride in what separates them from the crowd. In an environment like college, standing out and being content with who you truly are become easy to lose sight of. 

When I think about Ferdinand the bull, I remember reading it as a child. I find comfort knowing that I can be authentically myself & I have been for the last 19 years. The advice you are given when you are young is a constant reminder that each thing you have learned has led to who you are today. Be courageous, be yourself, and be different.