Tres

     Monkeys? Sounds like an odd topic for our blogs haha but here goes. I could go on for hours about the numerous "monkeys on my back" that are part of the innumerable communities I am a part of, but I will just focus on a few here. Firstly, our RG family. It doesn't force me to take care of many responsibilities, but there are some. One I can think of is homework, but doing my homework doesn't directly help out everyone else, so it is more important to talk about the monkeys that have to do with the image we have to uphold. It is necessary for all of us to portray the best image possible of sorority women, without being biased towards one chapter or another, and also, we should be a support system for one another, and for the girls going through recruitment. Therefore, the monkeys we carry around have to do with being the genuine, caring people that we are, no matter what the situation is.
     I feel that the monkeys connected with my chapter and with PHA are very similar. They also coincide with the responsibilities I just discussed. As a part of a chapter and PHA, I would like to uphold as good of an image as possible, at all times. This is because as a sorority woman, I am not only always representing my chapter, but representing PHA, because even if someone doesn't know what sorority I am in, they could still know that I am in a sorority. The monkeys that are connected with this upholding of better standards for myself and for others include being genuine and caring, partaking in community service, and not acting in a way that would make my chapter or PHA look unsatisfactory to someone who isn't a part of either organization. And also, as a part of my chapter, I would include my grades as a monkey that I carry on my back, because I am constantly trying to strive for better grades so that we can improve as a whole chapter and provide more proof that people in sororities and fraternities have higher GPAs on average.
     Going along with getting good grades, I carry around a "homework monkey" when it comes to my classes. I like to do all my reading (even if it isn't entirely necessary) because it is a responsibility that I feel I have and something I like to do for my other classmates. When I do my reading and all of my homework, I can come to class prepared to discuss things and be in a position where I know what I am talking about with my classmates. In the house that I live in, I have a "chore monkey" because there are some things that all of us must do in order to keep our house clean and running efficiently. Therefore, it is important that all of us fulfill our responsibilities and carry around that monkey. And finally, in the other clubs and organizations that I am involved in on campus (mainly the Equestrian Team) I have a similar monkey in the fact that it is important for me to be caring, genuine, and friendly so that I can make new members feel welcome, while at the same time, keeping existing relationships strong. And there is a volunteer monkey that goes along with any sports club, so that is important too.
     I never really thought about responsibilities as "monkeys on your back" but it does make a lot of sense because it is similar to a to-do list. I know that if I have something I know I have to do, I carry it around with me and I think about it all the time until I get it done and it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. But weights are different than monkeys, they aren't as heavy, and that is why I really like this metaphor and found it very relatable.