Nathaniel True '23 Recruiting Profile

My name is Wiggles. At least that is what my swim coach calls me. He only has nicknames for certain people, and apparently, I’m one of them. It may be to avoid confusion with the other Nathan on the team, but I’ve often wondered, why the name “Wiggles?”

When asked, my coach says the name “just fits me,” but I suspect it has to do with the general perception that I am naive about the world around me or possibly “Wiggles” characterizes my goofball nature.

My coach and the other swimmers on my team (who also like to use it) see my cheerful nature as unexpected. My smiles and plucky demeanor confuse them. It is not that they are mean-spirited or discouraging, they are actually rather supportive, but they are surprised by someone who seems energetic at all hours of the day or who encourages other people, even if they are not on my team. 

However, maintaining a positive attitude is my personal survival mechanism. Whether it’s the two hours in my car to get to and from swim practice or the necessity of spending more time in the pool when my schoolwork finally drops off, I need my optimism to get me through the day. My challenges are less oppressive if I push through them and focus on my larger goals, especially with a smile on my face. 

But that tendency sometimes results in a silly nickname and a general consensus that someone like me may not be able to achieve such lofty dreams. I chalk it up to their umwelt. 

That is not a typo. It is a German word for “environment,” but the zoologist, Jakob von Uexküll, who used it in his work, did not mean our physical communities; rather, he meant our perceived surroundings. In short, what we can understand and absorb around us. In the Atlantic article where I first encountered the term, the author wrote, “Every Umwelt is limited; it just doesn’t feel that way. Each one feels all-encompassing to those who experience it. Our Umwelt is all we know, and so we easily mistake it for all there is to know.”

The original piece was discussing sound/light pollution in regard to animals, but it struck a chord with me for a completely different reason. When I researched the term further, I found out that Uexküll believed that the same organisms could actually have unique umwelts within similar environments. We can, even if we stand next to each other, experience an interaction or an event through a different lens. Our umwelts are not the same. Our impressions are not the same. 

When I smile and laugh, some people read that as foolish and unintelligent. Nathan is Wiggles, a clown. And their perception is that such people do not typically have the drive necessary to achieve at high levels. It is all they know, so they believe it is all there is to know. 

But, my umwelt does not agree with this consensus. I share many of the same attributes as my friends and teammates, but I perceive my actions through a different lens with a much different intent.

My smiles are to make my life and the lives of others better. There is more good in this world than evil, and I want to remind people of that fact as often as I can. It is a small act of service that costs nothing but brings an energy that is necessary during stressful or dark times. 

My cheers for others are a reflection that time is precious, and we should push ourselves at every opportunity to become more than what we expect. Once you hear someone else’s encouragement, it is easier to find the drive within yourself to push harder.  

My optimism stems from my faith in God. While my goals seem unrealistic to some, God brings me a sense of peace and reassures me that He has a plan for my life. The challenges I face, whether it be criticism or underestimation, are not for me alone to weather. 

And the one thing I love about being human is that I have the ability to understand what my umwelt is and to alter it as I make this next step to college. My world is about to expand in so many beautifully significant ways, and I cannot fathom yet how those interactions will change and shape me. My awareness of myself and others will only grow, and I look forward to that, but I know there will be one element that will never change–my desire to find joy in what I do.