Jax Xhabrahimi
English 110
09/12/2022
The Elements of Jax
Oxford Languages defines identity as “the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is.” While this definition does capture the basic meaning of an identity, it seems dull. One’s identity includes the elements that surround them and contribute to what distinguishes them from others. These elements can have a physical, psychological, and emotional impact on said person’s identity. The factors that contribute to my identity are the relationships in my life, the sports I enjoy playing, the music I listen to, and the media I engage with.
A factor that has a defining impact on my identity is the relationships I have with my parents as they have made me diligent. My father and mother did not come from affluent backgrounds, and so they immigrated from Albania to New York in the late 1990s and early 2000s, respectively, in pursuit of a better life. The endless work my parents, alone, have done to give my older sister and I, the life they never had, constantly inspires me to pursue what they never had the chance of doing. And so, the diligence that they have shown in their work is what I hope and am attempting to mirror in my accomplishments.
Furthermore, the friendships I have built have allowed me to grow into a more outgoing individual. By having short-term friends that would cycle out every time a new school year began, I was not able to open up to anybody. However, sophomore year of high school changed that as I found a group of people that made me comfortable. Instead of having the old, boring routine of going to school and coming home, having made these friends made life more exciting as I got to go out and explore new locations with them. Additionally, their own adventurous and extroverted personalities influenced the outgoing nature I have now.
The second factor that contributes to my identity is sports. From playing basketball, volleyball or even working out, they have impacted my life by helping me learn to take criticism and make bonds. When I first started playing basketball, I was usually never the first pick in PE basketball. But going to school and having other students offer advice allowed me to improve and develop myself to the point where I am now confident in my basketball skills and being able to take criticism meant to help me grow. Sports has also provided me with a way to bond more with my family and friends. My parents’ favorite sport when growing up was volleyball, so naturally they passed down their interest to me and taught a young Jax the basics on how to play. From them teaching me how to play volleyball, I then passed on that interest of volleyball to my friends, who then adopted the new hobby. By including them in an interest of mine, we spent the better half of our senior year going to the park and playing volleyball. Furthermore, in the past year, I was introduced to effective work out routines by a friend who had spent the majority of COVID learning all he can about working out. Seeing him transform from a kid that had never touched a weight a day in his life to becoming a big and strong human being was remarkable. So, when beginning my work out era, I figured he would teach me his workout split and that I would reach his physique sooner rather than later. After consistently going to the gym for two months, I realized that it was not just throwing weights around that would magically have muscles appearing. In reality, it took more than that. It took learning the proper forms and right pace for each exercise and developing the discipline of going to the gym consistently.
Moreover, music plays a role in my identity as it helps enhance my emotions and express how I am feeling. If I am feeling stressed, I will typically listen to calming music from artists such as Giveon, Rex Orange County, Childish Gambino, and Kyle Dion, whose genres of R&B and indie/hip hop stylistically capture the feeling. My music taste shifts then, when I am feeling the most outgoing, confident, and easygoing version of myself. Artists like Tyler the Creator, Kanye West, and Bruno Mars who create hip hop, funk, and rap music create environments that have me and others want to jam and dance along to the lyrics and beats.
With media being a massive communication tool that comes in multiple forms, it has been a factor to my identity, helping me build stronger bonds and a work ethic. Dealing with the recent pandemic, it led my friends and I to find a way to connect with each other. We started off communicating through texting and having facetime calls and later went on to utilizing discord. Discord, a social messaging platform with an extensive range of features, provided us the means to do several things: play games, watch movies, and even do homework together. It made being stuck at home in mandated quarantine easier and made my bonds with them a lot stronger.
Ultimately, the relationships I have with my close ones, the sports that I have come to learn, the music that I have discovered, and the media that has introduced itself into my life have all made an impact on my identity. Respectively, they have taught me to understand and appreciate the results of hard work accomplished, taught me how to take criticism to grow and develop bonds with family and friends, and provided me the spaces to express my emotions and develop a work ethic.
