Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
importanttoyou.
Lungs,thetwoorganslocatedinthechestintowhichairisdrawn,circulated,thenlostto
thesurroundings.Humanstakeforgrantedthebrilliantsimplicityoftheactofbreathing,and
howcrucialarolelungsplayinahumansabilitytoexist.Inthedurationofmylife,themost
importantaspectsofmyhumanexistencecenteraroundtheliteralandmetaphorical
significanceoflungs.
WhenIwasyoung,Iwasdiagnosedwithbacterialpneumonia,whichcausedmyleft
lungtocollapse.Thiscouldhavebeenanendpointofmylifeinstead,itbecameastarting
point.Mylungwasrestored,andcellularrespirationcontinuedtooccurwithinme.Thefirstvital
rolemylungsplayedinmyexistenceisconvertingthechemicalsthathaveenteredthem.
Whetheritbefromanexperimentwithammonia,aceticacid,orsulfur,mylungsareableto
inhalethepungentchemicalsandcontinueproducingcarbondioxidefromoxygen.This
capabilityiscrucialforfosteringmyloveofchemistryandthepotentialchemicalsmylungswill
beinhalinginmyfutureeducation.
Whilechemicalsplaguemylungs,literatureclearsthem.EachpoemIreadandeach
sentenceIwritecleansesmylungsandmakesthemnew.Witheachnewexhalecomesnew
wordstopaintthecanvasofanemptypage.Iusedtobelievethatchemistrywasmoresensible
thanenglish,thattheinhalewasmoreimportantthantheexhale.Thefunctioningofmylungs
helpedmerealizethatbotharenecessaryandessentialindefiningwhoIamandwhatIcan
accomplish.Ihopetocontinuebalancingthechemicalsthaturgetoenterbyexhalingthewords
thatcirculatemymind.
Continuingonmyeducationwithfocusesinscienceandliteraturemayseemlikea
juxtaposition,butIbelieveinrelyingonmylungstostabilizetheairbetweenthedifferences.I
havecomealongwayfromthatgirlwithacollapsedlungandaninabilitytobreathewithout
support.Mylungsallowmetobreathewithsimplicity.Theyallowmeinhaleoxygenfrom
combiningpotassiumiodidewithhydrogenperoxide,thenexhalewordsinmyheadontoablank
page.Theequilibriummylungshavefosteredhavebalancedandexemplifiedthestrengthsof
whoIamandwhoIwishtobe,andIhopeIgetthechancetofurthercultivatethisidentityatthe
UniversityofWisconsin,Madison.