Okay, I know what you're thinking: Who is Walt Whitman? Why would I be thanking some old guy who wrote poems? In high school, some of us spent the majority of English classes dreading reading poetry. It's extremely subjective and can mean so many different things. I know I was definitely one of those students.

Then something changed. I was cast in the show "I and You" by Laura Gunderson and the plot of the show is two teenagers working together on an American Lit project in which they have to analyze and track the uses of the pronouns "I" and "you" in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" from "Leaves of Grass". This is the project I would always dread doing in high school, but as this poem played a very important role in this show (literally and figuratively), I decided to give this poem a chance. It certainly would help me better understand my character, my scene partner's character, and the play as a whole. I learned so many valuable life lessons from this poem. It is relevant to everyone, regardless of the different places everyone is at in life. I will share what I learned with you, and I hope that you may learn something too.

"For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you".

Whitman is talking to us. I actually find this quote kind of romantic because it reminds me of something that a husband and wife would say to each other. When you unite with someone in marriage, you become one. It also emphasizes one of Whitman's favorite ideas: we are all equal. Additionally, it also turns out that Whitman was not only celebrating himself (as well as the human body), but all of humanity. He praises the joy of wondering and experiencing nature.

"This hour I tell things in confidence, I may not tell everyone, but I will tell you."

When I first read that part, the thing that immediately came to my mind was trust. It reminded me of all the times I spent with close friends, both in my past and present, telling them things I was/am going through and things that no one else really knows about me. The trust you put in these friends is so special and important that it should never be taken for granted.

"I know I am deathless."

What a powerful quote. No matter what happens, what obstacles we may go through throughout life, we are still a part of history itself. We will never be forgotten or lost to time. It reminds me of that lyric from "Hamilton": "you have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story". More specifically, how you live your life and how you touch other people's lives affects how others tell your story. Live every day to the fullest and know that you are always making a difference in someone's life, even if you don't think so.

"I bequeath myself from the dirt to grow from the grass I love, if you want me again look for me under your boot-soles. Missing me one place search another, I stop somewhere waiting for you."

I'm not going to lie, this last part of the poem made me extremely emotional the first time I understood what it actually meant. As his self settles, he leaves us with departing words that we might not be able to understand. Contrary to what most people may think, that's okay. These words are a part of our own selves and we are able to comprehend them even after Whitman is gone. "Look for me under your boot-soles" means that no matter what, whatever that person left us with will always be there with us. If you don't get what he means, don't be afraid and know that it's okay. He will be still be waiting for you when you do. This reminds me of when you lose someone special to you, whether it be through death or the end of a romantic relationship. You might not understand what is happening and why, and you can't figure out why they're saying the things they're saying. It's okay that you can't understand them right now; some day you eventually will because that person has become a part of who you are. They'll always be with you, and if/when you see that person later on down the line, they'll still be waiting for you to tell them you finally get what they meant all that time ago.

If you told high school Jordan that she would love a poem by Walt Whitman, she would probably give you a skeptical look, said "yeah right" and move on with her day. Now, the only thing I can say is that I am extremely grateful for this poem and the lessons it has taught me. I never thought I would say this...

Thanks, Walt Whitman.