Self Remix

Honestly, Robert's presentation in class was so inspiring. Everything he said had a reason and so much intelligence. I enjoyed all of the helpful hints and tips that he gave for performing. What I found even more touching was his Self Remix performance on Thursday night. After watching him perform in class, I was totally expecting a very comical and entertaining piece. Although I definitely found that, his performance went way beyond that. He invited us into his personal life, welcoming us to relive the rough experiences that he went through. I felt so connected to him. I had only known him for hours, and it felt as if I had known him for years. Many people get up and perform a stand-up comedy or a spoken word. However, it takes a lot of courage and energy to get the audience to feel and believe everything that comes out of your mouth. I was amazed at how powerful his piece was.

The show had begun, and there was joy and happiness in the atmosphere as he constantly made the audience laugh. However, he really had me thinking about reality. I think it was the part where he spoke about the struggle his parents went through. He talked about how both his parents immigrated from different countries across the world in search of better life. They both suffered while they were receiving minimum wages. They worked very hard to have food on the table for their families. I think the part that hit was when his father pulled him aside and told him that everything he does is to better the life of his son, Robert. I can't count the number of times that my dad has said that to me. Just like Robert's father, he always tells me that he works very hard for me. He tells me to study very hard so that I can be successful and not have to go through the struggle that he had to go through. That instantly triggered my emotions, and I started tearing up. I felt as though I had an emotion connection to Robert while he was giving us his real-life accounts and experiences. I think this happened because of how well I was able to relate to his life. I completely understand what it's like to have two parents come to this country and give their children their all. This is something that I always remember, but it was great to be reminded of it one more time in this performance. I appreciate everything that they are doing for me so much. I, honestly, can't even type this write now without crying. It made me want to just hug and kiss my parents, and tell them how much I love them.

Another very touching segment was the part where he was being discriminated against for being half Iranian and half Guatemalan, or multicultural in general. So many children are victims of bullying by their peers, whether it deals with race, ethnicity, gender, or even appearance. People try to tell others that they don't fit in. What I would like to know is what is the point of fitting in when it's so beautiful to be unique and different? I don't understand why elementary school students go out of their to make others feel miserable and upset. They expect everyone to look, dress, or act a certain way. Anyone that doesn't fit into these categories are automatically made fun of and bullied. In this case, they even went to the extent of using violence. While I watched Robert get beat up, I completely lost it. I felt so upset for him, and I wish there was something I could have done to eliminate this from his past. Clearly, these simply remarks brought on my peers are something that live with you for the rest of your life. They follow you and shape you into the person you become in the future. They have obviously impacted his life, or else he would not have been standing there in front of the audience reliving all of those negative events. Although they were not to that extent, I can definitely relate to some things that affected the way I see myself today. They were definitely influenced by the kids that bullied me when I was younger. No matter how hard I try, I think I will always have those comments in the back of my mind. It, honestly, is so hard to erase those negative things from your past.

I think that Robert's performance was phenomenal! I am so happy that I had the opportunity to relive his life while he performed it on stage for us. It was a chance that I'm very happy I took. Thank you so much for bringing him to class, Kashi!! =) Just like I'll never forget elementary school or everything that my parents have done for, I will also never forget the Robert's Self Remix performance.