Assignment 19: Plastics--Amir Abou-Jaoude

One of the most beneficial pieces of advice I have received is "to thine own self be true." My mother told me this, and she got it from Shakespeare--Act 1, Scene 3 of Hamlet. In that scene, Polonius counsels his son Laertes, who is about to leave Denmark for foreign lands. In essence, Shakespeare is discussing the importance of individuality and holding to your beliefs, morals, and opinions, even when everyone else around you is doing, saying, or believing the opposite. Sometimes, I spend too much time thinking about what other people are doing, and while it is important to keep the needs and actions of others in mind, this quote reminds me that I can only control what I am doing. Furthermore, the advice reminds me that "everyone else is doing it" is not a valid reason for taking an action. At Henry Clay, I see some students leading multiple clubs and participating in variety of extracurricular activities. While I admire their wide range of interests and commitment to each one of their activities, I like to focus on doing one activity well, and Shakespeare's quote reminds me that there is nothing wrong with that.  I might get disappointed with the outcome of a speech tournament or someone's reaction to my writing, but ultimately, I find that the only thing that matters is if I am happy with the work that I have done and feel that I have put forth my best effort. In that way, I will be true to myself. Sometimes, I see a select few of my peers finishing assignments half-heartedly or even cheating. While this may be easy and quick, I remember that I have to be true to what my parents taught me and what my teachers and peers expect of me. Shakespeare penned those words four hundred years ago, and as with most of the Bard's work, they still have relevance today.