I am the third of four children in my house, I am also the last girl before the only boy, and therefor I am the baby. I am one of those people who willingly admits she has a middle child complex. Now in my case I didn't feel neglected by my family just felt, at times, like the odd one out. A few years ago all four of us joked about what color sheep we were in the house, Candy the rebel "black sheep", Juanlly the grey one, Wilmy the white good one and then there was me...I...well...I was the neon green sheep, that was our conclusion at least. Growing up I was always the quiet one, stayed in the back and tried not to make too much noise. It also didn't help that all my siblings are musically incline in one way or another, except me...well actually I play a mean tambourine ;).Since I was the shyest from the 4 I was know by association: meaning I was known as so and so's sister or so and so's friend or daughter and never by just plain Yicaury. Some people wouldn't even learn my name, just my association. At first it made sense in my head, I was shy and people knew my other siblings or friend more than me, and I went along with it. As I grew older this started to bother me and my middle child complex started manifesting itself and I soon grew to despise association. Now let me make this straight, I understand if we just met and I get introduce as so and so's blank but if we keep getting together and keep relating to each other and you still call me so and so's blank thats when my eye begins to twitch. I feel as if knowing who I am has no meaning or it isn't even important to you. It also feels like I am some sort of bridge to get closer to them and therefor you have no interest in getting to know me -_-* I went through this stage of association for a long time and it just felt like I had no identity or as if the only good thing about me was that I was so and so's blank.
So people with a middle child complex express it in many different ways: some act out to get attention, others disappear and just go with the flow, I express it by being creative. Now I want you to understand that this was not something I decided one day, I didn't sit down and put my thinking cap on and decided "I'M GOING TO BE CREATIVE!". No, no, no, nooooo, it just sorta happened. My need to NOT be one in the crowd produced creativity in me. Its also known that younger siblings tend to me more creative than the older ones. My desire to be known as Yicaury created an infinite pool of ideas and behaviors that have become part of me. This has become so natural to me and has defined how I am NOW perceived, as an individual and an original. The interesting thing is that I have been called these things by complete strangers that I have met once or twice, walking in the streets, in conferences, in the mall and just in everyday situations.
I wrote this post for a couple of reasons but one being a voice for the shy unspoken people known solely by association. Take time to know this hidden treasures and encourage them to find and built on their own identity. Its frustrating to be in the shadows knowing you have your own voice but nobody wants to listen to it.
I think the name of my blog has a lot to show for how far I've come from my association days. Yiry(G-ree) adj: is a call to become an adjective, be soooo you that people will start describing and seeing things and ASSOCIATING it with who you are. Become a total original in your own way, stop breaking copyright laws and be simply you, one day the world will eventually catch up :) I fight against the association game when I see it done to others in hopes that they too can find their identity and become an adjective.
