1st, 2nd, or 3rd person

Have you ever been talking to someone, listening to them tell a story about themselves? Depending on the type of story, the person may refer to themselves in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd person.

3rd Person
When a person refers to his/herself by their given name.
example: "When I was a child, I said, "Blanche, you can be anything you want to be"".
Why are you calling yourself by your name? Explain that to me. Your name is supposed to be used by other people.

1st Person
When a person uses the pronoun "I" in a story.
Example: "I went to the store and bought a vat of butter and a loaf of bread".
This is normal and generally accepted as the way to talk about oneself.

2nd person
When a person uses the pronoun "you" in a story, but "you" isn't someone else.
Example: When asked about her flying plane ride, Jennifer responded, "It was weird.. I mean, you sit there and you wait and wonder if everything is going to be alright. It was the most terrifying thing you can go through when you realize just how high up you really are.""

Here's the thing about using the 2nd person. Using the 2nd is a way of letting people into your life, but still keep them at a distance. It's also a way to acknowledge who you are without outwardly owing it. You often find people using the 2nd person when sharing deeply personal feelings. Using "you" allows the person to peek around the emotional wall of protection that keeps them safe from truly connecting with another person. We're all guilty of it at one time or another and I can't really decide if it's a bad thing.