February Blog Post

Communication and Culture
February Blog Post

Cat Wright

The Most Important Sentence

"It's going where you don't belong. It is being who you are not supposed to be. It is creating new meaning. It is so many things that are never expected, never articulated, and I insist that you understand my experience on my terms. I insist that my narrative be mine."

This quote from Dr. Manda V. Hicks' work titled Making My Narrative Mine: Unconventional Articulations of a Female Soldier stood out to me as particularly relevant and significant from our readings. This quote is notably relevant in a world where the meaning of individual experience can so often be undervalued, demeaned, or even silenced. This excerpt illustrates an imperative concept that is important for anyone and everyone to understand - the primary claim of which is that one cannot define the experiences of another, and that an individual's lived experience is subjective, worthy, valid, and matters.

The excerpt from the in-depth, personal work discusses "going where you don't belong" and "being who you're not supposed to be". The themes expressed throughout the text focus heavily on defying, challenging, and ultimately rewriting societal standards and norms. Dr. Hicks impresses upon her readers how critical it is to pave your own path and to separate yourself from the heavy burden of cultural norms that dictate what can and can not be done.

The work also touches on the fact that in life and in particular experiences, there are "so many things never expected". This point really drives home the value in learning to define yourself amidst experiences you could not have predicted; adapting to life in a reality unforeseen. This excerpt also illuminates the notion that we grow up being told that the world is 'this way' or 'that way', when at the end of the day, we will likely find out that the world is nothing like the picture-perfect image that has been painted into our minds. We will most likely experience boundaries, obstacles, and challenges to our perspective that we could not have predicted until the experience has been lived and overcome. It is vital that individuals work to make these experiences known for the sake of their own self and for others.

Lastly, the text addresses what I might consider the most driving point of all: "understanding my experience on my terms. I insist that my narrative be mine." Dr. Hicks pushes readers to seek genuine understanding of the perspectives of others, and to think outside of their own established worldviews or lenses and genuinely listen. Dr. Hicks clearly states and repeatedly emphasizes how and why it is so important to respect the validity of an experience lived by an individual, rather than attribute your own beliefs and biases to their narrative, and to recognize the harm in doing so.

References

Hicks, Manda. 2011. "Making My Narrative Mine: Unconventional Articulations of a Female Soldier". Qualitative Inquiry. 17 (5): 461-465.