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My life began on August 7th, 2002 in Tarzana California. My parents are Bernie and Catrina Kopell. Both my parent’s are in the entertainment business since both of them are actors and my mom is also a producer. I would definitely say I was born into a family and culture of entertainers, and acting, singing, and preforming has always come very naturally to me. I have an older brother named Adam who was born on Halloween in 1997. My home is different then others since my dad is 87 and my mom is 54
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According to Piaget’s Stages of Development, I started in the sensory motor stage. This was the beginning of my development, where I acquired skills like my grasping reflex where I could grab anything that was handed to me along with my rooting reflex to show when I was hungry. My mom tells me that I was a very hungry baby, and that I was bottle fed the entire time. Whenever I would want my bottle I would just open my mouth. This is when I showed my first signs of maturation.
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I was still in the sensory motor stage when I learned how to walk. I was learning about the world around me through sight, touch, and sound. I never really walked but I scooted across the floor with my knees bent out to the side while sitting on my butt as I would push my legs left to right to propel me forward. This was my main form of transportation if I wasn’t in a family members arms or in a stroller.
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According to my mom, my telegraphic speech really began around when I was two, and I didn’t talk that much because my brother would always answer questions for me. This was the start of my preoperational stage where I learned that words symbolize objects. This was also the time in my life where my imagination really began to take off
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It was the first day of Kindergarten and I felt like the king of the world. As my teacher called out the last names of the kids in the class I would let out a big gesture or noise and everyone laughed, even the parents. It is a strange memory looking back now. But I felt like the center of the universe because I was still in the preoperational phase where it is normal to be completely ego centric.
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I remember one of my good friends saying someone else was mean to him, and I should go hurt the guy who made fun of him. I remember the kid was sitting in a green little tube. I saw him, and proceeded to step as hard as I could onto his hand. I got in a lot of trouble and had to speak to the principal. Just like Piaget’s theory, since I couldn’t feel the other kids pain I wasn’t really aware that it happened. This was when I learned the rules and the behavior of the culture I was born into.
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According to Freud’s theory of development I was already living in the Latency stage, where I grow and learn to develop my social skills. During second grade, our teacher Mrs. Stien always gave us time to socialize and talk with our friends for about 5 to 10 minutes before class started. I remember gaining more self esteem and confidence when I talked to other people and made them laugh.
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I remember after I got stealing a tiny plant from my second grade classroom, my mom had a screaming conversation with me on why this was wrong and how I could go to jail for stealing things. This was much better then getting spanked and I learned more then just having a timeout. But at the same time, this showed me that I didn't like conflict with authoritarian figures in my life, and at a young age I slowly began to rebel against them.
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Sometime in elementary school, I was discovering my psychosexuality. I remember touching my private parts and the teacher told me to stop it because that’s not a good place to keep my hands. My response was, “Why? It feels good.” Looking back this is a funny memory and it was just another story of my development in this life. There was a time where my mind snapped from pure sexual desires to sublimation.
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After I saw that girls were impressed with the way I preformed athletically and on the stage, my sexual desires shifted to a social focus. I started doing everything I could socially to impress all the ladies. Whether it was playing kickball and handball at recess or acting during play production, I would always strive to be the best to impress other people. This continued throughout elementary school and most of middle school until I started hitting puberty.
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Around 13, I was totally living out Elkind’s theory of Egocentrism when I had a large problem with authoritarian figures, becoming extremely argumentative and very self conscious. It was a regular event in my house where my mom would ask me to clean my room or do the dishes and I would completely flip out. I was also so self conscious about the acne on my forehead that I grew out a huge bowl cut to cover it. Then freshman year came around and I fell into a deep pit of anxiety and depression.
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When I get to college, I will take a Morality/Ethics class that will truly help me in my post conventional stage of Kohlberg's moral reasoning theory. I will begin to account for the differing values, opinions, and beliefs of other people. Through understanding and accepting other peoples views, I believe I will grow stronger with my own personal values and beliefs.
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In college, I will find a smoking babe and fall madly in love. This will happen when I learn to love myself again. For so many years I have just isolated and sat in my depression, but finding the right relationship will really help me get out of this funk. I think it is really important to experience and find love because the world is just better when you found that special person. You always have someone to talk to, be there for you, and to be intimate with which helps a person live their life.
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When I am a junior or senior in college, I will sign my major league contract. Before I had enough time to explore and mess around with different things like marijuana and alcohol in high school, and when I crashed my car on drugs, I had my rock bottom and identity crisis. When I sign my contract I will made a commitment to my sense of identity which fits into Marcia's identity achievement theory. This will be a very proud moment in my life.
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This one was really tough for me to write. My dad is currently 87, and this is something I've struggled with my whole life. It is inevitable that everyone dies, but my dad will live to be 100. I will be in my thirties, and even though I won't be prepared, it will give me an awareness of my surrounding world that I never had before. I will start living more in the present and cope with my emotions by communicating with and helping others.
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I will not only give all my effort on the baseball field, but off of it too. I will be committed to helping the community around me. I will have my own foundation, or maybe even two or three! I want to help animals, along with the homeless, drug addicts, and helping the earth. I will use my platform as a baseball player to address these issues. This will be a key stage to my self awareness and awareness to everyone and everything around me
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Connecting to Marcia's identity state theory, I will be fully self aware once I retire from the Major Leagues. My self esteem will be boosting through the roof because of all the accomplishment's I've had, my critical thinking will also rise along with my moral reasoning, and my stress levels will go down. I will also see that I still have desires to preform and go start acting and singing again. I will be comfortable with who I am and the life I have created.
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I will find the most beautiful girl who is my best friend and I am madly in love with and marry her. Marriage is important to have in your life because you share a deep connection like no other, and you are truly intimate with your partner. They are there for you no matter what and I have a strong feeling like I will choose a girl to spend the rest of my life with. This connects to Erikson's stage, Intimacy vs. Isolation since I will be deeply intimate with my wife.
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Once I’m married to the love of my life, we will have kids together. This will be a life changing event because I will finally be a father. It will change my view of the world, and I know I will have a deep intimate connection with my children. This also fits into Erikson’s stage, Intimacy vs. Isolation because of the relationship I have with my children.
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When I have the money for it, I will buy my dream car. A beautiful 1969 Mustang Boss 429 that will be my everyday driver. I have really been madly in love with this car ever since first grade. It is one of my deepest desires to buy, own, and use this stunning vehicle, so once I can I will buy it.
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When I turn 50, I will have my mid life crisis. It won't be a bad thing at all because I know how to control the stress and anxiety, but it will be a great time for self exploration. I will take a deeper look at myself and find my true passion, like acting and making music. This related to Marcia's Identity states, where crisis is actually a good thing. It will be a time of upheaval where my old values and choices are reexamined.
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To help cope with all the stress and anxiety of my mid life crisis, I will buy a beach front home in Malibu California. The beach has always been my happy place and just alleviates all my stress and all my worries. This could help add to my self awareness because I can see what helps me in my life and make it a priority.
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Continuing with my mid-life crisis, I will go out and talk to my agent and start going for commercials, television, and movies. I will also release my first music album. This will be my identity moratorium where I explore various alternatives. In this case it would be making music and acting. This would my my healthy form of a crisis, where I can grow and explore who I really am.
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My music and baseball will positively impact other people along with leaving behind an impact on the world, but I want to really help others by starting a charity foundation. I want to help as many people as I can, from animals, to the homeless and drug addicts, to just saving our earth. This relates to Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development stage, "generativity vs. Stagnation" because I will be caring for others while accomplishing things that make the world a better place
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When my foundation raises a billion dollars, my generativity will be set in stone. I will have helped so many people and done so many good things that I will really have left my mark on this earth. Like Erikson mentions, I won't be living in stagnation because I did not fail to find a way to contribute
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Sadly my mom will pass away too. Thankfully I will be a lot older and will have experience with something like this. I will learn to appreciate the small things in life, and continue being self aware trying to make every moment count. It will open my mind in a way that is different then other loses in my life because I only have one mom. I will really miss her.
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Becoming a grandparent will be another amazing event in my life. I will still be in the Generativity vs. Stagnation stage because I will nurture the development and growth of the next generation. Erik Erikson believes that all human beings go through certain critical milestones in development. These can either take a positive or negative turn, and I will do my best to be the most positive man I can be.
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I will write a book about my life, using journals I have been writing the whole time. By this time I will be slowing down
Write a book, relax on the beach with my dogs, speak at events about my life overcoming problems as a teen, and how to be successful in your lifetime. This fits into Erikson’s stage, “Integrity vs. Despair” and I will show integrity by truthfully reflecting on my life and all the success within it. -
At this point in my life, I will be spending most days on the beach with my wife and dogs, and along with relaxing I will also reflect on my life and all the blessings God has given me. I will sit in those feelings of joy, and look at life with a feeling of satisfaction, peace and gratitude for all that has been given and received.
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No one lives forever. I will go to the doctor after not feeling myself. He will inform me that I have cancer. If it makes sense, this will be one of the highest points of clarity in my life. Now that I am dying, I will use my time to the max because its running away quickly and I don't have much left. I think the most important thing will be spending time with my family and making sure they know how much I love them. I will look back and be happy and satisfied with the beautiful life I had.
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I will have left a mark on this planet when I am gone. People will remember me for being a fantastic baseball player. I will show younger generations what it means to have a great work ethic. I will also be known for being a good person off the field too. I was well rounded, and carried my musical and preforming talents throughout my whole life. I want to be remembered as a family man, who loved his wife, kids, and grandchildren endlessly.
