Who Am I?

Who am I? This is the million dollar question. Of course, everyone can say they're either a son or a daughter, a husband or a wife, but when it boils down to it who are you deep down inside? Since being in Honors Composition II, I have really found out who I am. This epiphany has really excited me. With this new found knowledge I believe I can reach my full potential and be very successful.

            So let's start out with the basics, my name is Tanner James Griffith. I was born and raised in Aurora, Nebraska by the most wonderful and loving parents this world has to offer. Jody Griffith, my mother, is the most thoughtful person. She never ever hesitates to lend a helping hand to a long-time friend or even a complete stranger. My father, Bill Griffith, is a man of few words, but when he does speak you need to listen. He is stern, but fair. He is the hardest working man I know and it is a goal for me to be like him someday. I was raised the youngest of three children. My oldest brother, Travis 25, has taught me many qualities such as, how to be a competitor and even how to be tougher, which was probably the worst lesson of them all. The middle child, my sister Megan 22, has always been easy to relate to. She was a little closer in age and always made me feel included. Even being a girl, she has been a vital piece to my growth as a person. I am currently employed at USave Pharmacy in Grand Island where I work 20-25 hours a week. My dream of becoming a pharmacist is all starting with this job. Hopefully I will achieve my ultimate goal of earning my Doctorate of Pharmacy degree, but until then I'll just stick to being a clerk.
            My hobbies are a big part of who I am. You can learn some important core values by participating in the activities that you enjoy. Sports have always been a huge piece of me, especially baseball. Watching, playing, or coaching anything related to sports just gets me fired up.  I think that competitive drive has come from my father. I was introduced to my favorite sport, baseball, early in my life. My brother was a huge baseball fan. My family and I would travel to numerous different towns across Nebraska just to watch my brother and his team play. Baseball was really my first love. I know, for a fact that I would not be the same person I am today without the game of baseball. Baseball has taught me to be the best I can be and always give 100% effort on the diamond. America's pasttime has also taught me to be fair, have good sportsmanship, and always encourage not only teammates, but opposing players as well. Another hobby of mine is school, which to most people isn't really a hobby at all. It's more like, well, the law. I understand that I have to be here, but I thoroughly enjoy learning new things everyday. I love expanding my knowledge. By now, I'm sure I've spent equal, if not more, time at school and at home with my family. School is an important piece to shaping students' lives. Hanging out with friends is more than a hobby to me, it's basically a necessity. Just add it to the list: food, water, shelter, and hanging out with friends. When you're not with family or at school you're with friends. You tend to take on their qualities and, in the case of my friends, these qualities are exactly the way I want to be!
            Now that you know a little bit about my background, the boring stuff, let's get to the real meat of who I am today. I am a loving person. My mother always said I was a sucker when it came to people needing help, which she can definitely relate to because that's how she has always been. I believe the key to happiness is helping others in their time of need. My parents have always taught me that you'll never gain anything without giving up a little bit in the process. I work hard at everything I do and never underachieve. My motto "nothing in this world is worth having, unless you had to work hard to achieve it."

I don't know where I would be without all these things in my life, and fankly, I don't want to know. I'm happy with the person I've become, but I'm definitely not satisfied. There are many more things in life that will mold me into the person I am suppose to become. I cannot wait for those things to happen and hopefully I become a person that everyone likes and wants to be around.