We are all very different people. No two individuals are completely the same, physically or mentally. Even our perception of an abbreviation like “ID,” may be shockingly different to someone else’s. You may not have thought of it before, but “ID,” can stand for plenty of things. Who knew?
Here’s a list of “ID’s,” I’ve collected that are significant to me, besides, of course, “identity,” and the fake ID you use to buy cheap beer. At least upgrade to wine, people, honestly.
- Irrational Dread: Crabs. And before you mention the STD, let me clarify: it’s not the disease that I’m afraid of.
I am truly terrified of crustaceans, those armored spiders of the sea. I have no explanation for my fears, but I can tell you that when I encounter a crab or a lobster, in the supermarket, a restaurant, or even the aquarium, I burst into tears.
My roommate brought hermit crabs to our dorm as a surprise after Thanksgiving break, and I couldn’t enter the room until she put them elsewhere.
My little brother once bought a hermit crab over the summer and lost it in the house. It was missing for two months, so all of us just assumed the cat got it. That is, until it turned up, ALIVE, in our CLEAN LAUNDRY in OCTOBER. IS NOTHING SACRED? Not even my Victoria Secret panties are safe.
Every year down the shore, I seriously consider buying another pair of these fly suckers to avoid the nasty crab claws I’m more than likely to encounter just chillin’ on the ocean floor.
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Come get me now, crabs.
I’m very aware that my dread is completely irrational, that crabs never did anything specifically traumatizing to me except be ugly. Did you know that lobsters are biologically immortal, or something like that? I can’t preach it, because it feels like that’s a lie. But still, that’s unnatural. Miss me with that nonsense.
I know it’s kind of stupid. Regardless, every summer I live in fear of being touched by a claw. When I’m sitting in the sand and the tide recedes, the little sand crabs start to emerge simultaneously. Needless to say, beach panic attacks are not foreign to me.
I’ve been subjected to sitting next to my friend’s dad on a boat ride while he devoured a bucket of crabs for 3 hours straight.
And no, it is not satisfying for me to see them dead, because their little bodies are so EW. I will not rest until I have my own personal force field that shields me from their wickedness.
- Inner Demons: Now, this is a hard topic to cover, considering everyone suffers from their own special kind.
Personally, I struggle to avoid being replaced. My inner demons are gremlins that make me feel less than the people around me. They criticize my body. They manifest negativity, doubt, and other crappy things that we are far better off without. They can affect your confidence, your perception of yourself as a person, and relationships of all kind.
A pain in the ass it may be, but everyone struggles with their own.
Follow the advice I once got off of a Tumblr post several years ago: “Find someone whose demons are compatible with yours.” And accept those whose demons are, perhaps, more powerful than yours (not that any problems you have are less important).
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- In Development: I am an incomplete person. I have experiences to build upon, stories to tell, goals to reach, a family to build. I’m young. I am In Development. Aren’t we all?
Everyday stress gets to everyone. Class work, “work” work, trying to make the money to pay the bills. There’s so much to do and, as you become an adult, you realize that there is, in fact, very little time in which to do it. If I spend all my time doing tiresome things, how will I ever have availability to devote myself to my passions, to travel, or to art? It is important to just remember that we are in development, as people. We are always growing. There will be time.
As a student, I hate to feel pressure to fully form myself as a person. You know, I wonder if we’ll ever be fully formed. I like to think that I’m continuously evolving. Like a Pokémon. But even Pokémon have a final form, no? I’m not ready to emerge from my cocoon, yet, mom! Just wait and I’ll be a beautiful butterfly someday… But today is not that day.
- Identity Dishonesty: While I was hunting for other phrases “ID,” can stand for, my roommate came over and told me about an article by Teen Vogue; the strange phenomenon of girls camouflaging themselves for the sake of “fitting in.” In this way, Identity Dishonesty comes into play.
In the article, Jessica Henriquez writes, “‘Different is a social death sentence,’ Liana, 16, a high school junior in Los Angeles, explains. ‘I don’t wear a waist trainer because it’s comfortable; I wear it because other girls in my group do, because society tells me that my five-foot-two, size 8 body is supposed to look like a Kardashian.’” (Henriquez, 2016)
Not only are social constructs detrimental to the body and mind, it has convinced young people, often between the ages of 8-12, to change themselves or, at least, hide who they are for the sake of popularity.
No one should have to conceal themselves to please others. Acceptance should be far more important to society than beauty standards, but we have a long path to pave. Read more about identity dishonesty in Teen Vogue.
- Infectious Disease: Just stay away from these. Quoth Mean Girls, “You will get pregnant, and die.”
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- Into Darkness: Besides being a Star Trek film, “Into Darkness,” starring Chris Fine— ahem, excuse me, Chris Pine—can represent a lot of different things, and it even goes hand in hand with “Inner Demons.”
Is the descent into darkness like “rock bottom?” Have I hit rock bottom yet? And I’m not talking SpongeBob Rock Bottom…
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I’m talking actual, bonafide, possibly painful rock bottom. I’m in debt, I have student loans, I broke up with my boyfriend, all at the same time, and the like. There’s a rock bottom in every romantic comedy film, just before the couple gets together. Rock bottom, for me, will probably be my mid-life crisis, or, you know, right now.
(That was a joke.) But, you know, one of my best friends is studying abroad and I miss him more than I’ve ever missed anyone, I think. It’s bleak without him. The semester has just begun and I’m already completely drained of my energy. I miss my family. Coming back to school in the middle of winter felt quite a lot like a descent into darkness.
However, the light of spring break shines in the near future, and the clouds will part. Whatever you’re going through, I promise you’ll get through it. You are strong.
You are you.
For more possible phrases for the abbreviation “ID,” see here.
