Introductions have always been something that makes me nervous. Here I am trying to introduce myself and my new online column smoothly, but I can’t quite do it. Here is my very first piece.  

I’ve always hated introducing myself or having myself introduced to somebody else. My name is atypical and usually  people not acquainted with me ask, “What was that name again?” right after our short introductory conversation to make sure they heard correctly. Yes, I really am a teenage girl in 2020 with the name Margaret Ann. The awkwardness is another thing; although I like meeting new people and consider myself a “people person,” sometimes I simply can’t stand the discomfort. I think the main reason I hate introductions is because I feel like I have to reserve my usually out-there self. 

Why would I want to reserve myself, you may ask, because I’ve written about embracing personality and appearance multiple times already for The Statesman. Well, to put it plainly, I’m a lot; An acquired taste if you will. I’m usually very random, I fidget a lot and I don’t have much of a filter when it comes to weird thoughts. I laugh when it’s quiet, or when I’m happy or nervous or aloof or when I say something dumb and to top it all off, I’m blonde. So, when I introduce my entire self right out of the get-go, I get pummeled with blonde jokes and stereotypes.

The jokes are sometimes entertaining, and I even find myself laughing along most of the time. However, I don’t want strangers to think of me in just that way because I feel as though I have more than a laugh to offer people. Many of my teachers and friends have been (I hope pleasantly) surprised that I have a wide range of personality traits; I am smart, generous and warmhearted, along with loud, random and bubbly. So, when I introduce myself, I try to subtly show each side of me simultaneously. 

One of the aspects of me that doesn’t always make it to the forefront of a conversation is that I love to learn. I love to dive into life and learn about expression and art, philosophy, sciences, people’s stories and most of all, life lessons and how to live them out. 

I may be a blonde that isn’t completely dumb, but I do admit that (like everyone else on earth) I have some learning to do, and I have decided to document it. 

My name is Margaret Ann Elizabeth Mickelberg, I’m a 17-year-old girl trying to absorb all the knowledge I can, and I would really like to take you along with me.