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The Songs Of Freedom - Original Writing

Decent Essays

Songs of Freedom My definition of a great writer was someone who possessed a complex mind and was able to view the world in a way the average person cannot. Growing up, I never felt comfortable in my own skin. Writing for me, serves as an escape and is the only time I truly feel comfortable. When I write, I transform in to someone confident and liberated; I truly become myself. Coming from the Gambia, West Africa, I’ve always struggled with identity and who I was as a person. I never truly felt a sense of belonging and always struggled with where I fit in or belong to. At home, I am viewed as slightly different from everyone else; children and even elders constantly questioned my nationality. When I speak, I was repeatedly asked “where are you from?” This question would always confuse me and I would hastily reply “I am from Gambia of course, where else?” My sharp diction, rich grammar and command of the English Language seemed “foreign”, and for this particular reason I was viewed as a “foreigner”. Another reason for this, is my inability to articulate the local languages well. I could comprehend and understand Wolof (the main national language), but could never seem to speak it as effortlessly or as naturally as other Gambians could. However, English is my first language, the first language I ever heard, the first language I ever spoke, the first language I was ever taught and ultimately the language I grew to love. The difference in the way I spoke English compared to

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