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When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
William Shakespeare Sonnet 29

Like every high-school student, I encountered Shakespeare. I dealt with his plays more than his sonnets. The ones I remember are Twelth Knight and Julius Cesar. Ironically, it was Star Trek which first introduced me to his sonnets. Specifically. Sonnet 29. It was a gift from Picard to Data. I could always empathize with Data, the android officer,
he was very different from everyone with whom he interacted on a daily basis. I wondered if Data understood why he was different. As a person with a disability, sometimes I too, “Beweep
my outcast state.” Meaning is different for every person. I won’t speak for Data, but for me, this sonnet is about finding meaning in suffering and gaining strength from the quest. Its about gaining power through eschewing pity and ultimately coming to the knowledge that the road to self-actualization begins with embracing our outcast state. If we can do that, we will soon scorn to change our fate with kings.