when writing my biography for today I found myself struggling to come up with
found myself struggling to come up with
found myself struggling to come up with as many limitless style achievements as
as many limitless style achievements as
as many limitless style achievements as some of the other presenters here good
some of the other presenters here good
some of the other presenters here good what as I told my parents I’ve only been
what as I told my parents I’ve only been
what as I told my parents I’ve only been on this planet for 15 years and the
on this planet for 15 years and the
on this planet for 15 years and the first four weren’t that eventful so I
have a question for you
have a question for you why do we label people why do we do that
why do we label people why do we do that
why do we label people why do we do that as soon as we meet somebody we craft
as soon as we meet somebody we craft
as soon as we meet somebody we craft rubber-stamp labels for them
rubber-stamp labels for them
rubber-stamp labels for them stuff like gifted challenged young old
stuff like gifted challenged young old
stuff like gifted challenged young old lazy ambitious Democrat Republican I
believe that these labels alleviate
believe that these labels alleviate uncertainty and that we’re more
uncertainty and that we’re more
uncertainty and that we’re more comfortable smug perhaps because we now
comfortable smug perhaps because we now
comfortable smug perhaps because we now know this person newsflash we don’t know
know this person newsflash we don’t know
know this person newsflash we don’t know them at all because human beings are not
them at all because human beings are not
them at all because human beings are not single-celled microorganisms we are
single-celled microorganisms we are
single-celled microorganisms we are wildly complex creations and the labels
wildly complex creations and the labels
wildly complex creations and the labels we place on people limit them and limit
we place on people limit them and limit
we place on people limit them and limit house they see themselves I was taken
house they see themselves I was taken
house they see themselves I was taken out of school in the first grade and I
out of school in the first grade and I
out of school in the first grade and I was allowed to grow academically and
was allowed to grow academically and
was allowed to grow academically and personally without labels I wasn’t a
personally without labels I wasn’t a
personally without labels I wasn’t a second grader or a third grader gifted
second grader or a third grader gifted
second grader or a third grader gifted or challenged I was as I simply still am
or challenged I was as I simply still am
or challenged I was as I simply still am just Mason I was never told by my
just Mason I was never told by my
just Mason I was never told by my parents or mentors you’re not ready for
parents or mentors you’re not ready for
parents or mentors you’re not ready for that you’re too smart for that
that you’re too smart for that
that you’re too smart for that you’re too young for that as a result I
you’re too young for that as a result I
you’re too young for that as a result I finished Algebra one at age eleven I
finished Algebra one at age eleven I
finished Algebra one at age eleven I passed a college entrance exam at age 13
passed a college entrance exam at age 13
passed a college entrance exam at age 13 and began taking college classes at 14 I
and began taking college classes at 14 I
and began taking college classes at 14 I finished a couple of semesters now of a
finished a couple of semesters now of a
finished a couple of semesters now of a GPA of 3.8 and I plan on transferring to
GPA of 3.8 and I plan on transferring to
GPA of 3.8 and I plan on transferring to the University in North Carolina in
the University in North Carolina in
the University in North Carolina in Charlotte where I hope to earn finance
Charlotte where I hope to earn finance
Charlotte where I hope to earn finance and economics degrees
and economics degrees
and economics degrees all of this would be so much easier if I
all of this would be so much easier if I
all of this would be so much easier if I could drive but no one’s good at
could drive but no one’s good at
could drive but no one’s good at everything though I can’t cook I said it
everything though I can’t cook I said it
everything though I can’t cook I said it I actually burned around the noodles
I actually burned around the noodles
I actually burned around the noodles once I did that
once I did that
once I did that ice skating was a big no and I really
ice skating was a big no and I really
ice skating was a big no and I really understand a lot of visual art it
understand a lot of visual art it
understand a lot of visual art it doesn’t work however I love playing the
doesn’t work however I love playing the
doesn’t work however I love playing the guitar I’m a pretty good welder and I’m
guitar I’m a pretty good welder and I’m
guitar I’m a pretty good welder and I’m in a leadership position to my Boy Scout
in a leadership position to my Boy Scout
in a leadership position to my Boy Scout troop
troop
troop there is no label that fits me and there
there is no label that fits me and there
there is no label that fits me and there is no label that fits you unless you
is no label that fits you unless you
is no label that fits you unless you accept it think for a minute what have
accept it think for a minute what have
accept it think for a minute what have you been labeled in your life huh shy
you been labeled in your life huh shy
you been labeled in your life huh shy boring disabled pretty single divorced
boring disabled pretty single divorced
boring disabled pretty single divorced these words don’t describe you the only
these words don’t describe you the only
these words don’t describe you the only label you need in life is your name what
label you need in life is your name what
label you need in life is your name what are the effects of labels for me I was
are the effects of labels for me I was
are the effects of labels for me I was limited when I wanted to volunteer at a
limited when I wanted to volunteer at a
limited when I wanted to volunteer at a local veterinarians office but I was too
local veterinarians office but I was too
local veterinarians office but I was too young at 14 years old to be allowed to
young at 14 years old to be allowed to
young at 14 years old to be allowed to help out no explanation to paraphrase
help out no explanation to paraphrase
help out no explanation to paraphrase the great Sir Ken Robinson if I’m
the great Sir Ken Robinson if I’m
the great Sir Ken Robinson if I’m hardworking if I’m dependable and if I’m
hardworking if I’m dependable and if I’m
hardworking if I’m dependable and if I’m kind to the animals
kind to the animals
kind to the animals then why should my date of manufacture
then why should my date of manufacture
then why should my date of manufacture matter I’m also taking college classes
matter I’m also taking college classes
matter I’m also taking college classes to become a welder even though no
to become a welder even though no
to become a welder even though no company will hire me until I’m 18 never
company will hire me until I’m 18 never
company will hire me until I’m 18 never mind that I’ll be certified never mind
mind that I’ll be certified never mind
mind that I’ll be certified never mind that I’ll have straight A’s and those
that I’ll have straight A’s and those
that I’ll have straight A’s and those are just the rules rules and labels they
are just the rules rules and labels they
are just the rules rules and labels they go hand in hand
go hand in hand
go hand in hand another label for me to deal with is
another label for me to deal with is
another label for me to deal with is homeschooler with it often comes some
homeschooler with it often comes some
homeschooler with it often comes some preconceived notions see a lot of people
preconceived notions see a lot of people
preconceived notions see a lot of people think that we aren’t educated very
think that we aren’t educated very
think that we aren’t educated very thoroughly or that we aren’t very
thoroughly or that we aren’t very
thoroughly or that we aren’t very socialized
socialized
socialized y’all can meet me later I’m pretty
y’all can meet me later I’m pretty
y’all can meet me later I’m pretty social you may think that I’m gifted or
social you may think that I’m gifted or
social you may think that I’m gifted or special but I want you to hold on to
special but I want you to hold on to
special but I want you to hold on to your labels because I don’t want them
your labels because I don’t want them
your labels because I don’t want them there are so many other kids just like
there are so many other kids just like
there are so many other kids just like me they are bored out of their minds
me they are bored out of their minds
me they are bored out of their minds trudging along in public school at the
trudging along in public school at the
trudging along in public school at the speed of government education they have
speed of government education they have
speed of government education they have labels affixed on their foreheads that
labels affixed on their foreheads that
labels affixed on their foreheads that one that one’s average throw him in with
one that one’s average throw him in with
one that one’s average throw him in with the welders you know they’re about
the welders you know they’re about
the welders you know they’re about average that one she’s a musician don’t
average that one she’s a musician don’t
average that one she’s a musician don’t expect her to do any math you know
expect her to do any math you know
expect her to do any math you know musicians are that one though that one’s
musicians are that one though that one’s
musicians are that one though that one’s gifted let’s give him a little extra
gifted let’s give him a little extra
gifted let’s give him a little extra homework you know he can handle it
homework you know he can handle it
homework you know he can handle it also known as how to make a child hate
also known as how to make a child hate
also known as how to make a child hate being gifted for the good of society let
being gifted for the good of society let
being gifted for the good of society let go your labels whether you put them on
go your labels whether you put them on
go your labels whether you put them on yourself or you put them on someone else
yourself or you put them on someone else
yourself or you put them on someone else you’re limited by them and so are they
you’re limited by them and so are they
you’re limited by them and so are they what would have happened if two kids in
what would have happened if two kids in
what would have happened if two kids in the late 1800s who were dismissed as
the late 1800s who were dismissed as
the late 1800s who were dismissed as high school dropouts had believed in
high school dropouts had believed in
high school dropouts had believed in them believed in the labels placed on
them believed in the labels placed on
them believed in the labels placed on them never believed in themselves oh
them never believed in themselves oh
them never believed in themselves oh there would be no Wright brothers
there would be no Wright brothers
there would be no Wright brothers memorial at Kitty Hawk and what if a
memorial at Kitty Hawk and what if a
memorial at Kitty Hawk and what if a young boy in the 1940s had believed in
young boy in the 1940s had believed in
young boy in the 1940s had believed in the labels placed on him because of a
the labels placed on him because of a
the labels placed on him because of a terrible stutter he even gave up
terrible stutter he even gave up
terrible stutter he even gave up speaking for years Darth Vader would
speaking for years Darth Vader would
speaking for years Darth Vader would have a very different voice from James
have a very different voice from James
have a very different voice from James Earl Jones I leave you with this
Earl Jones I leave you with this
Earl Jones I leave you with this cast-off your labels they limit you
cast-off your labels they limit you
cast-off your labels they limit you don’t hang labels on other people you
don’t hang labels on other people you
don’t hang labels on other people you limit them allow yourself to believe in
limit them allow yourself to believe in
limit them allow yourself to believe in anything ask yourself and tell me what
anything ask yourself and tell me what
anything ask yourself and tell me what do you want to
do you want to
do you want to we’ve thank you
we’ve thank you
we’ve thank you [Applause]
”
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