Stephanie Duff

I always have a hard time answering the question, “How would you describe yourself?” It always comes down to taking surveys from my friends of what they think of me. But if I were to compare myself to some tangible object, what I resemble most is a banana. I may look pretty sturdy on the outside, but usually people will have had to have peeled me one layer at a time to actually get to know me. No one ever knows if a banana is a truly good banana until one sees the inside and finds a brown spot on the next bite they are about to take. I have one very bad brown spot as a part of me. I am a hoarder. I have any and everything from since as long as I can remember. Once I found out the tooth fairy was not real, I asked my mom for all the teeth she collected over time to keep ever since I was 10. I also have all my favorite pieces of clothing that don’t fit me anymore in the back of my closet. I even have every single card I’ve received ever since I could remember. It’s come to the point where if my mom asks me to clean my room out, there’s barely any trash, just reorganization. However, I’ve come to see this not as a bad spot but that sweetest tasting spot of a banana. All my memories lie within these things I have come to hoard. By looking at the clothing I once wore, I reminisce on the several outings I had with them. The cards remind me of each and every person I’ve ever met. Brown spots may seem repulsive to people, but once you find the sweetness, you come to love it.