-Kettehkumuehn E. Murray, Ph. D.
“No two leaves of the forest are exactly alike.”
— African Proverb
You are the First Edition of yourself.
You are your own Original Copy.
There has never been another exactly like you,
and there will never be another again.
Some may be richer—yes.
Some may be more attractive.
Some may be taller, stronger, or more celebrated.
But none of that makes them better than you.
Difference is not superiority.
You are the First Edition of yourself.
You are the Original Copy of you.
The great teachers of history may inspire you.
The wise may guide you.
The ancestors may illuminate your path.
They may be wiser in certain ways—
but they are not more human than you.
Each of them fulfilled a purpose.
And so must you.
You may be short, bald, bow-legged, or plain in appearance.
You may carry scars, doubts, or imperfections.
Yet beneath the sun, you remain unique and irreplaceable.
From the dawn of time until this very moment,
there has never been another you.
Even identical twins, born of the same womb and hour,
walk different paths and carry different spirits.
Your thoughts are your own.
Your voice is your own.
Your journey is your own.
Whether you are man or woman,
boy or girl—
Whether you are Black or White,
Chinese or Indian—
You stand beneath no other human being.
For you are human—
no more and no less.
And that alone is dignity enough.
So, remember this, always:
You are the First Edition of yourself.
You are your own Original Copy.
There will never be another you.
Asè.
Ju-aà-naan.
Zee-ma-neen.
The Ancestors are wise.
