Have you ever looked back at yourself years ago and thought “wow, how I have changed!” Sometimes this is for the worst, but usually, and hopefully it’s for the best.
I know I have changes a lot over the years, and will continue to into the future. When I was in early grade school, one teacher of mine called home to ask my parents if I were a mute. Yes, honestly. I left grade school with no confidence in myself, and a bleak outlook on the future. I had no friends, and no strong relationships with family. At the end of grade 10 I met some friends, or at least people who cared about me. They made me see that there were nice people in this world. I met real friends after that, and lost them soon after. It didn’t matter though, because I knew things would be okay. Then I met a special girl who brought out the goood side of me, a side that still lives on to this day. Even that soured eventually, but it didn’t matter. I learned, and grew from that. Then I met my current best friends, who taught me that friends can last forever.
Along life we make mistakes, rush into things, let things pass us by, miss a chance, and let fear hold us back. None of these are a wrong choice, as long as we learn from each one of them.
I was spoiled when I was young by my parents, and kept some of that mentality to this day. Over the years though, I have been learning to overcome it. It took a while to realise that things are rarely perfect, and that it’s okay like that. Learning that was great, as I used to toss away any damaged or defective goods (yes, I’m being symbolic here). After that I learned that honesty is always best, always. I learned this from looking up to Kyle at work. His usual total honesty was inspiring to me. It took a while, and is still a bumpy road, but the honesty road is best. Now, I am learning that I can’t always get what I want when I want. Sometimes things take time to grow and mature, and waiting for them to do so is half the fun of having them.
My point with all this? Sometimes you take a few too many steps forward, and need to take one back here and there. Sometimes you lose sight of what defines who you really are.
That’s okay though, because the next step will just be better.
