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My Introduction Speech


Abnormal, odd ball, and weird, is all words I’ve been called by as if it were my name; but it’s not my name is Maurice Mondele Gatewood. Though I never let those words get to me I've always contemplated on what made people call me such things when it wasn't my name. Tim Burton, who share similar feelings as me said; "I have a problem when people say something's real or not real, or normal or abnormal. The meaning of those words for me is very personal and subjective. I've always been confused and never had a clear-cut understanding of the meaning of those kinds of words." See, like Tim Burton I’ve had contemplated over the meaning of those words and their synonyms.

I'm the middle child so people had it in their minds from start that I was the black sheep; in a way they were right. My mother did the best she could with the help of my grandmother raising the three of us, while still going to community college and work. Something I grew up knowing was common in the lower-class communities of Chicago’s south side. Having three kids two years apart, wasn't easy and at the starting age of fifteen only presented more challenges but my mother never gave up on us, made lots of sacrifices to get us where we are now. I of coarse being the middle child felt as if I wasn't getting my fair share of attention from my mother, so I became selfish, quiet and anti-social. Wanting rather draw in my room than go out and play with my siblings, and focus on my studies than be popular like my brother and younger sister. This gave me something that I used stand out from my siblings, being the only one with artistic talents and a little Einstein as child, my family joked of me being a Renaissance man. Though it gave me a way to stand out, it also had a negative effect. People, mostly my classmates, thought of me as a lame, and weirdo do to my interest being far different from what was Main Stream, and Popular. This didn't change much, when I got into high school. Tired of being the target of ridicule, I stopped being a victim, I became dark, sadistic and the temper I had as a youth grew into a violent nature, I became prone to fighting a lot. This had people thinking I was some type of social path, or something but that was far from it. It was a phase in my life born from being ridiculed and judged so much. But thanks to my closest friend, my brother from another mother; if you will, the one person who knew me as the person who loved to kick back, play games, and draw. He was the one to introduce me into MMA and with the training and discipline I learned from it, I returned to my more docile and calmer self. My temper had almost disappeared and I became a better person because of it, and less of a problem for my family. Though it was too late to save my scholarly credibility, and I had to go summer school to make up for the mistakes I made my senior year. I eventually went to summer school, and passed the class I failed in with an A, and went to enjoying my summer.

See what people fail to realize, is that despite my sometimes brutish exterior, I am an intellectual; and despite my dislikes in popular trends such as sports, music such as Rap and Hip Hop, and fashion; I have things I MMA, Hard Rock, and art. I may be different but I'm not weird, I ‘m just an individual. I'm the black sheep among the flock of white but just because my coloring is different doesn’t change that I am still the same as you, that I may have grew up just like you. So tell me, what is normal, is it assimilating to the current most popular trends so everyone can know you are just like them, and following style of the in crowd? Cause if it is I rather stay weird and keep my individuality.