“It was missing a piece. And it was not happy. So it set off in search of its missing piece.” My

grandfather read Shel Silverstein’s popular fable “The Missing Piece” to me countless times since I was

a young child. “What is your missing piece, Brendan, and where would you find it?” he always asked

me. I would listen, without quite understanding the philosophy behind it at such a young age, but

already enjoying the challenge of wanting to understand. As I grew older, I found inspiration and

guidance to this question in various books and classic literature. What I began to realize was that the

missing piece couldn’t be found solely in other people, ideas, or things. The missing piece was within

myself, and it was up to me to uncover it.

Thanks to my grandfather, a college English professor at Cal State Long Beach, I spent hours

tucked away in his library, reading whatever I could get my hands on. I found I could especially relate

to books about independence, adventure, and self-reliance. Growing up with a mother who traveled for

business a great deal, I learned how to enjoy being alone. I cooked for myself, entertained myself, and

even taught myself how to play the guitar and drums. I realized there are books out there with

characters like me, living adventures that I want to experience.

In middle school, I discovered the classic Into the Wild by John Krakauer. “Please return all

mail I receive to the sender. It might be a very long time before I return south. If this adventure proves

fatal and you don’t ever hear from me again, I want you to know you’re a great man. I now walk into

the wild.” When I read this I thought, “Wow, this Chris McCandless character knows what’s

important.” Here was someone else who understood my need to be independent. Perhaps this was the

answer I was looking for. My missing piece was really just a vehicle for adventure.

As I became older, the need to understand my place in the world became more insistent. Not

everybody walked the solitary path and this became more apparent in high school. Why was I different

than my peers? What made them want to be like everyone else instead of taking the individual route?

Ralph Waldo Emerson couldn’t have said it better in “Self-Reliance.” “Nothing is at last sacred but the

integrity of your own mind.” I have always thought for myself and there was nothing wrong with that.

It’s led me down a path of self-discovery and self-awareness that very few my age have experienced or

understood.

Now I’ve come to a point where it’s not enough to know what I think about a subject or issue. I

want to discuss my ideas with others who are just as inquisitive about the world. Only by keeping an

open mind and exchanging ideas can we grow and challenge ourselves. What better way to do this than

to major in philosophy, literature, or education. I hope to eventually write or teach about my

experiences and help others along their journey towards finding their own missing piece.